What, as a consumer, annoys you most?
Well — if you’re like the rest of us — it’s getting duped into buying a new or used car that turns out to be a lemon.
That’s according to a survey of the top ten consumer complaints from the Consumer Federation of America.
Also on the list: Credit card billing disputes; Phone, cable, and Internet billing disputes; and electric and gas billing disputes.
I sense a theme.
Top Ten Complaints in 2011
1. Auto: Misrepresentations in advertising or sales of new and used cars, lemons, faulty repairs, leasing and towing disputes
2. Credit/Debt: Billing and fee disputes, mortgage modifications and mortgage-related fraud, credit repair, debt relief services, predatory lending, illegal or abusive debt collection tactics
3. Home Improvement/Construction: Shoddy work, failure to start or complete the job
4. Retail Sales: False advertising and other deceptive practices, defective merchandise, problems with rebates, coupons, gift cards and gift certificates, failure to deliver
5. Utilities: Service problems or billing disputes with phone, cable, satellite, Internet, electric and gas service
6. Services: Misrepresentations, shoddy work, failure to have required licenses, failure to perform
7. Internet Sales: Misrepresentations or other deceptive practice, failure to deliver online purchases
7. Landlord/Tenant: Unhealthy or unsafe conditions, failure to make repairs or provide promised amenities, deposit and rent disputes, illegal eviction tactics
8. Fraud: Bogus sweepstakes and lotteries, work-at-home schemes, grant offers, fake check scams, the grandparent scam and other common frauds
9. Real Estate: Timeshare sales and resales, retirement communities and assisted living facilities, real estate fraud
10. Household Goods: Misrepresentations, failure to deliver, faulty repairs in connection with furniture or appliances
10. Home Solicitations: Misrepresentations or failure to deliver in door-todoor, telemarketing or mail solicitations, do-not-call violations
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