3 On Your Side: Top 10 Consumer Complaints
By Jim Donovan
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) - Every year the Consumer Federation of America surveys state and local agencies to learn what consumers are complaining about the most.
3 On Your Side Consumer Reporter Jim Donovan finds that this year's survey included just under 290,000 complaints that had been filed with 38 agencies in 22 states.
"They're the kinds of transactions that consumers either make every day, like problems with retail stores, or they're problems involving enough money that it's worth complaining," says Susan Grant with the Consumer Federation of America.
The top ten complaints of 2011 involve:
1. Auto
2. Credit and debt issues
3. Home improvement and construction
4. Retail
5. Utility complain
6. Service
7. Internet Sales / Landlord-Tenant (tie)
8. Fraud (Sweepstakes, Contests, Work-At-Home)
9. Real Estate (Time Share Issues)
10. Household Goods / Door-to-Door Sales (tie)
State and local consumer agencies are also seeing an uptick in complaints about mortgage rescue scams, as well as bed bug, penny auctions, and gold buying complaints.
To read the entire survey visit: www.consumerfed.org.
