Ellen Phillips Many of us gripe about issues of personal concern. When looking at the Top 10 complaints of 2016, I was amazed to see just how many seem applicable to a lot of us. Read on to discover where your complaints compare within this list, thanks to Forbes.com.
10. Household goods and home solicitations really surprises me at last place. Inevitably, just as we sit down to dinner (among other times), either a bothersome telemarketer or robocaller sets off the ding-a-ling of the phone. I’ve registered many times for the Do-Not-Call list and every other government agency that supposedly stops or at least lessens these nuisance calls – to no avail. I’m truly amazed phone solicitations aren’t way up at the top of the list. Along the same line, door-to-door callers who want our money for yard work or roof repair and those unwelcomed mailings that stack up in the mailbox aggravate the heck out of me. Misrepresentation of goods, along with failure to properly repair or deliver as promised rounds out No. 10.
9. Real estate is a bugaboo on the list. Much of our savings is built around our homes so it’s no wonder scammers make so many attempts to convince us that if you own one home, two is better. A vacation home via a Caribbean timeshare becomes a valuable bequest to your kids; sell your home for a big money to buy into a retirement community or assisted living facility, all of which results in simple real estate fraud, especially to trap seniors and the elderly.
8. General fraud is a criminal’s dream. Scams of all sorts abound. These creeps may be crooks just one step in front of the law, but they’re smart crooks. Don’t forget sweepstakes/lotteries, work-at-home schemes and grandparent scams. When I discuss fraudulent activities and ask for a show of hands of those who’ve been victimized, I can’t count quickly enough. Scary, scary
7. Many potential buyers are hesitant to shop online because of problems with internet sales. Product misrepresentation or other deceptive practices along with failure to deliver online purchases are worse problems than monetary swindles. Then consider landlords who expect tenants to close their eyes to shoddy maintenance work, habitual insect invasions, deposit and rent disputes, and illegal eviction tactics, it’s no wonder consumers register grievances.
6. Covering multitudes of difficulties, consumers often face a service complaint on a daily basis. You name it: misrepresentation of products and/or services, shoddy work, practitioners who don’t have required licenses and poor job performance. (Random House commissioned my first book based upon an inefficient and rude carpet cleaner and what resulted from my complaint.)
5. Utilities’ service problems and billing disputes reach our midway point. Whether grouped all together or, perhaps, just a single challenge with phone, cable, satellite Internet, electric and gas service, many consumers rank utility issues pretty highly.
4. False advertising and deceptive practices are on the rise. It could be the newly coined “alternate news” or the 50 percent discount sign that merchants try to avoid honoring when a customer tries to pay the discounted price, only to be told “Oh no, that sale was over this morning” (or whenever.) Stand your ground! Remind the manager the discounted price – as advertised – must legally be respected. Then chuckle as the sales force scurries around to take down all the signs. Possibly a legitimate error; possibly deception on their part to pull you in for purchases. Included in this category are: defective merchandise, problems with rebates, coupons, gift certificates and gift cards and failure to deliver as promised.
3. Home improvement and construction is a biggie and represents shoddy work, failure to start on time or to complete the job.
2. Credit and debt practices is a class unto itself. Billing and fee disputes, mortgage-related fraud, credit repair, debt relief services, predatory lending and illegal or abusive debt collection tactics.
1. And, finally, automobile complaints are No. 1 and have been ever since I began my work in the consumer advocacy field more than 30 years ago. Whether advertising or sales misrepresentation of new/used cars to lemon sales, faulty repairs, leasing and towing disputes, vehicles of all makes and models top every year’s list of Worst of the Worst. Buyer beware, indeed!
Contact Ellen Phillips at consumerwatch@timesfreepress.com.