Top consumer complaints for 2008

August 7, 10:39 PMConsumer News ExaminerBroderick Perkins

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Auto, home improvements, collections top list.

The "2008 Consumer Complaint Survey Report", a survey of 34 state, county, and city agencies from 19 states, said automobile issues ranked as the No. 1 top consumer complaint category in 2008.

The survey, by consumer groups Consumer Federation of America (CFA), the National Association of Consumer Agency Administrators (NACAA) and the North American Consumer Protection Investigators (NACPI) said many of the complaints were related to the recession, including aggressive debt collection tactics; false promises to help consumers repair bad credit, modify loans, settle debts, and forestall foreclosure; high-cost payday loans and bogus offers for loans with upfront fees; fraudulent work-at-home and business opportunities; false advertising and billing; unfinished construction projects; and cheating consumers on the price, quantity or quality of gasoline and home heating oil.

Here's the list, top to bottom.

• Auto. Misrepresentations in advertising or sales of new and used cars, lemons, faulty repairs, leasing and towing disputes. Check the Cash for Clunkers deal.

• Home Improvement/Construction.Shoddy work, failure to start or complete the job. See other home improvement issues.

• Credit/Debt Collection. Billing and fee disputes, mortgage-related fraud, credit repair, debt settlement, predatory lending, illegal or abusive collection tactics.

• Utilities. Service problems, billing disputes with phone, cable, satellite, Internet, electric and gas services.

• Retail Sales. False advertising, defective merchandise, problems with rebates, coupons, gift cards and gift certificates, nondelivery.

• Services. Misrepresentations, shoddy work, failure to have required licenses, failure to perform.

• Household Goods. Major appliances and furniture, problems with nondelivery, misrepresentations, faulty repairs.

• Landlord/Tenant. Unhealthy or unsafe conditions, failure to make repairs or provide promised amenities, deposit and rent disputes, illegal eviction tactics.

• Internet Sales (Tie). Misrepresentations, nondelivery in online purchases.

• Home Solicitations (Tie). Misrepresentations, nondelivery in door-to-door, telemarketing and mail solicitations, do-not-call violations.

• Health Products and Services. Misleading claims, failure to deliver.