As part of National Consumer Protection Week, Michigan Attorney General Mike Cox compiled a list of the top ten consumer complaints. Though the list originates from a single state, these problems are universal and affect everyone.
Here are the top ten complaints:
- Credit and Financial Concerns: Includes identity theft complaints, predatory lending, disputes about credit reports, collections, billing and finance charges, and misrepresenting the terms of credit.
- Internet: Rising from its number five spot in 2005, this category includes Internet purchases and auctions, failure to deliver or refund, fraudulent e-mail solicitations, Internet service provider complaints, and identity theft complaints. 2006 can be called the “Year of Computing Dangerously.” Computer security experts say 2006 saw an unprecedented spike in junk e-mail and sophisticated online attacks from increasingly organized cyber crooks. These attacks were made possible, in part, by a huge increase in the number of security holes identified in widely used software products.
- Telecommunications and Cable or Satellite TV: Includes telemarketing, do-notcall violations, cell phone issues, cell phone billing issues, cramming (unauthorized charges), slamming (unauthorized switch of a service provider), and identity theft complaints.
- Retail: Includes problems with the quality of merchandise, rebates, scanner or pricing errors, and identity theft complaints.
- Mail Order: Rising from its number eight spot in 2005, this category includes failure to deliver merchandise, unsolicited merchandise, contest deceptions, and failure to refund complaints.
- Small Business Providers: Includes complaints by small businesses receiving unauthorized services or goods, including advertising and directory publications, unsolicited faxes, and leases for business equipment that cannot be cancelled.
- Motor Vehicle or Automobile: Includes lemon law, advertising, warranty, quality, and misrepresentation complaints.
- Gasoline/Fuel/Energy: Falling from its number four position in 2005, this category includes allegations of businesses charging a price grossly in excess of competitors, complaints of high utility rates, billing errors, and contract misrepresentations.
- Contractors/Home Improvement: Includes problems with the quality of work, failure to deliver services or a refund, and warranty issues.
- Personal Service Providers: This category includes complaints about failure to refund, failure to cancel a contract, and failure to deliver services.
In 2006, the Consumer Protection Division obtained more than $6.3 million in consumer refunds and forgiven debts. Additionally, the Consumer Protection Division recovered more than $2.3 million for the State.
If you have any of these problems, I recommend contacting a qualified attorney in your area immediately. Only by speaking with a lawyer with experience in handling consumer complaints can you be sure of whether you may be entitled to a private recovery.
Source of post can be found here.
Jay S. Fleischman is a New York bankruptcy lawyer who sues bill collectors for violations of the discharge injunction and automatic stay violations. If you live in New York and are would like a free, no-obligation case review please contact Jay Fleischman.
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