During this National Consumer Protection Week, many offices of state attorneys general released their annual list of top 10 consumer complaints received over the last year. The lists present broad categories for received complaints, such as automobile sales, Internet sales/scams, retail, professional or consumer services, banking and loans, health/medical, home improvement, and housing/real estate.
Some of the lists provided a little more context on frequent complaints. In related consumer credit and banking categories, for example, offices listed debt collection, credit reporting disputes, and financing/loans. New York’s AG office received frequent complaints related to “debt collection, credit card billing, debt settlement, payday loans, credit repair, credit reporting agencies, identity theft, banking, loan modification scams, mortgage lending and servicing.” While Colorado’s AG office reported complaints related to unlicensed activity, including tribal lending.
In the automobile category, ranked high on many of the top 10 lists, AG offices named sales, financing, defects, advertising, misrepresentation, and unsatisfactory service/repair as the major areas of auto complaints.
The AGs’ annual announcements are a useful indicator that show common areas of concern for everyday consumers and broad areas for potential improvement in consumer protection laws and enforcement.
Here are top 10 consumer complaints from Vermont, Virginia, Missouri, New York, Colorado, and Illinois.
