This should come as no surprise. The Consumer Federation of America has published its annual survey of the top ten complaints made to state and local consumer agencies, and automobile-related problems are number one. The top consumer complaints include misrepresentations in advertising or sales of new and used cars, deceptive financing practices, defective vehicles, faulty repairs, car leasing and rentals, towing disputes.
Top Consumer Complaints
According to the survey, these are other frequent subjects of consumer complaints:
- Home improvement/construction (Shoddy work, failure to start or complete the job, failure to have required licensing or registration);
- Landlord/tenant (Unhealthy or unsafe conditions, failure to make repairs or provide promised amenities, deposit and rent disputes, illegal eviction tactics);
- Credit/debt (Billing and fee disputes, mortgage problems, credit repair and debt relief services, predatory lending, illegal or abusive debt collection tactics);
- Services (Misrepresentations, shoddy work, failure to have required licensing or registration, nonperformance);
- Utilities (Complaints about gas, electric, water and cable billing and service);
- Retail sales (False advertising and other deceptive practices, defective merchandise, problems with rebates, coupons, gift cards and gift certificates, failure to deliver);
- Travel (Misrepresentations about cost, amenities or other aspects of travel packages, failure to provide promised services, disputes about refunds);
- Health products/services (Misleading claims, unlicensed practitioners, failure to deliver, billing issues);
- Internet sales (Misrepresentations or other deceptive practices, failure to deliver online purchases);
- Pandemic-related problems (Price gouging, refunds for canceled events and travel, financial issues, problems getting repairs and other services, “self-help” evictions, scams, and other complaints stemming from the pandemic);
- Fraud (Bogus sweepstakes and lotteries, work-at-home schemes, grant offers, fake check scams, imposter scams and other common frauds); and
- Household goods (Misrepresentations, failure to deliver, repair issues in connection with furniture and major appliance).
This list is compiled from complaints made to 34 city, county, and state consumer agencies in 18 states, and reflects the high number of complaints being made about automobiles, as well as the other businesses and services on the list.
Contact Jeff Mehalic, WV Consumer Attorney
If you have an automobile-related problem or another type of consumer issue, please contact me or call at 304-346-3462 so we can discuss your situation.
