The Consumer Federation of America (CFA) recently released its Consumer Complaint Survey Report which lists the top complaints Americans have on certain industries.
The report centers around 1.4 million complaints from consumers on issues ranging from fraud to misleading presentations and sloppy business practices.
Here is a look at some of the top complaints.
Vehicles. Consumers complained about false advertisements when it comes to both new and used car sales. Car repairs and towing altercations were also top reasons for consumer complaints.
Home improvements. Consumers had plenty of complaints about sketchy construction. They also complained that improvements were poorly finished at the beginning and the end.
Caller ID numbers. This one is an increasing concern as Americans answer calls what they think are local numbers but aren’t. Spoof and spam calls are on the rise and Americans are increasingly having problems with them.
Retailers. Consumers took issue with false advertising, poor material, bad rebates, gift card issues, refunds and coupons. Americans are also having more problems with bad customer service from sales associates. They take issue with high-pressure salespeople and local stores closing for the day before purchases are delivered.
Consumers across the nation also took aim at landlords, online sales, home solicitations, household goods, fraudulent lotteries, fake check scams, utilities, health products and services, and credit/debt card scams.
CFA noted the number of complaints about medical billing continue to grow, including surprising charges and disputes over what insurance covers.
While fraud is always a top concern among consumers, CFA noted there is a dramatic rise in the number of “imposter” scams where a conman pretends to be a law enforcement official or from the IRS.
CFA also reported that there are increased concerns from local government agencies as fraudsters are falsely portraying themselves as “experts” in helping immigrants.
The report is published annually. CFA combines detailed reports submitted from 35 state and local consumer agencies across 21 states. The states that submit their findings note the issues presented are identified as the most common, fastest-growing and the newest consumer complaints.
Susan Grant, CFA’s director of consumer protection and privacy, said these reports have helped Americans recover more than $107 million in losses.
Reach Ed Dean at [email protected].
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