Top 10 Michigan Consumer Complaints in 2014

To mark National Consumer Protection week, Michigan Attorney General Bill Schuette has released the annual list of the Top 10 Consumer Complaints in Michigan.

The list is compiled from the more than 10,500 written complaints filed with the State of Michigan in 2014.

Credit and financial services topped the list with 865 complaints on debt collection and credit reporting. Consumers often voice concerns regarding aggressive debt collection methods.

Debt collection scams and phony debt collectors who try to scare consumers into giving money to pay off fraudulent debts also remains an issue.

“While debt collectors have the right to contact you on legitimate debts, they never have the right to threaten, intimidate, or harass you,” said Schuette. 

Top 10 Consumer Complaint Categories of 2014

1.      Credit and Financial Concerns: The top complaint category for 2014 held on to the spot that it has had since 2006 generating almost 1,700 complaints in a variety of areas including debt collection, credit repair, payday lending, and mortgage brokering.

2.      Gasoline, Fuel, and Energy: Rising all the way from number 8 in 2013, propane complaints dominated this category last year. 

3.      Telecommunications, Cable, and Satellite TV:  Maintaining the third spot from the previous year, this category includes complaints involving issues like robocalls, telemarketing, and cable and satellite TV services.  These categories made up almost 1,000 of the complaints in 2014.

4.      Retail:  This category ranks fourth for the second year in a row and includes complaints about merchandise quality, warranty, and pricing disputes.

5.      Motor Vehicle and Automobiles:  Disputes with used car dealers, automotive repair service complaints, and lemon law violations are included in this category.

6.      Personal Service Providers:  Complaints in this category range from dating services and beauty shops to home security and health and fitness organizations.

7.      Internet:  Complaints in this category numbered more than 600.  Included are issues with internet service providers, online auction disputes, and fraudulent e-mail solicitations.

8.      Landlord and Tenant: Rising one spot to number 8 in 2014, this category made up nearly 500 complaints.  A majority of the complaints in this category involved apartment owners and managers.

9.      Health Service Providers: Also rising one spot from 2013, this category involves complaints about different health service providers like doctors, dentists, and hospitals. 

10.  Contractors: Absent from last year’s list and rounding out the top ten are complaints about landscaping services, special trade contractors, and residential building construction services. 

The top emerging threats to consumers in Michigan.

Ransomware

• Ransomware is a type of malware that restricts access to the computer system that it infects, and demands a ransom paid to the creator of the malware in order for the restriction to be removed. 

Mobile payment systems