By Ellen Phillips

Commentary

A number of folks have asked me to relate top consumer complaints (since almost every person seems to experience at least one personal “favorite”). Each year, a few of the same old, same old appear on this survey list — seems like these companies would get the message, doesn’t it?

In researching, I discovered not only what these top-rated complaints are, but also the specific reasons why consumers complain.

Because the lists are rated a year behind, the following descriptions of the 2007 record in the order of the most complaints, are pinpointed by the Consumer Federation of America or CFA, along with states’ consumer protection officers.

A number of readers who’ve written Consumer Watch have stumbled into some of these. So start taking notes to see into which traps you have fallen to avoid them in the future.

1. Lemon vehicles — Recall that each state has its own lemon laws. Area include misrepresentation in in ads, faulty repairs, leasing and towing issues. The auto industry generally falls within the Top 5.

2. Construction and Home Improvement — Usually a top “winner,” as well, this industry includes complaints about substandard work and failure to begin or, worse, to conclude the job.

3. Credit and debt collection — Monetary disputes, mortgage fraud, predatory lending, and illegal or abusive collection practices. (I’ll save the latter practices for a future column.) Unfortunately, with the economy issue, these unsavory activities are on the rise.

4. Retail sales — False advertising, defective products, rebates and coupons discrepancies, and nondelivery of items

5. Utilities — Service issues and billing disputes

6. Household goods — Major appliances and furniture, nondelivery, misrepresentations, faulty repairs

7. Internet sales — Delivery problems with online purchases and misrepresentations.

8. Home solicitations — door-to-door deception, telemarketing and mail, do-not-call abuses, and nondelivery

9. Services — shoddy work, misrepresentations, and failure to possess valid licenses.

10. Landlord/tenant — Unhealthy or unsafe conditions, refusal to make repairs or provide contracted amenities, and rent or deposit arguments.

Next week’s column will feature the Top 5 fastest-growing complaints of 2008 and more commonsense tips for consumers to protect ourselves. Until then, Susan Grant, CFA’s director of consumer protection, cautions us: “In economic hard times, consumers are even more vulnerable to phony promises to help them financially or (to) money-making schemes.”

Ellen Phillips is a retired English teacher who has written two consumer-oriented books. Her Consumer Watch column appears on Saturdays in the Business section of the paper. An expanded version is at www.timesfreepress.com under Local Business. E-mail her at consumerwatch@timesfreepress.com

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