Top 10 consumer complaints | Business

(WMC-TV) - Cars, credit and construction top the list of the industries most consumers can't stand, according to a survey by the Consumer Federation of America and the North American Consumer Protection Investigators.

The organizations surveyed 38 state consumer protection agencies about "...the most common, fastest-growing and worst complaints they received in 2011."

TOP TEN COMPLAINTS (source: Tonya Hetzler, interim president of NACPI)

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. (TIE) INTERNET SALES:  Misrepresentations or other deceptive practice, failure to deliver online purchases; 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. (TIE) HOUSEHOLD GOODS:  Misrepresentations, failure to deliver, faulty repairs in connection with furniture or appliances; HOME SOLICITATIONS:  Misrepresentations or failure to deliver in door-to-door, telemarketing or mail solicitations, do-not-call violations.

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