In 2019, the Missouri Attorney General’s Office received
111,530 consumer complaints. The Consumer Complaint Unit received 67,964
complaints and the No-Call Unit received 43,566 complaints.
Here are the top 10 consumer complaints:
1. No-Call Complaints – 43,566 complaints were
from consumers regarding No-Call violations and illegal telemarketing calls
despite being signed up with the Missouri no-call list. Complaints include
phone calls to residents by businesses or organizations soliciting the purchase
of goods or services.
2. Solicitations/Publications/Subscriptions –
2,171 complaints were from consumers regarding mail and phone solicitations for
publications and subscriptions. These complaints generally involve the receipt
of mail and phone solicitations regarding sweepstakes, lottery, and other
solicitation scams.
3. Financial – 1,503 complaints were from
consumers regarding disputes with financial institutions, debt collection
companies and credit repair services. Financial complaints involve loan
servicing, foreclosures, debt collection, and other products, services, and
practices by banks, mortgage companies, debt collectors, and other financial
institutions and service providers.
4. Automotive – 1,500 complaints from consumers
regarded automobiles, automotive dealers, and automotive repair shops.
Automotive complaints often involve failure to deliver titles in a timely
manner from the dealership. Other complaints involve shoddy repair work and
service issues.
5. Retail/Wholesale – 1,210 complaints from
consumers were retail and wholesale companies. Most of the complaints
involved purchases made through the internet, telephone, or mail and involved
late deliveries or products that were never delivered. Other complaints
involved the purchases of appliances, furniture, and other items with warranty
problems, that were defective, or that did not work as advertised. Other
retail-related complaints included issues with rebates, coupons, and gift
cards.
6. Communications/Technology/Online Services –
1,144 complaints from consumers were regarding communications, technology and
online services. Many complaints related to telephone cramming and billing
practices where consumers received a phone bill for services that they did not
order or were charged unauthorized fees on their telephone bill. This also
includes billing disputes and misleading promotions.
7. Real Estate and Construction – 1,136
complaints from consumers were regarding home repair, construction, and real
estate. These types of complaints involve storm chasers going door-to-door
asking for money up front and providing little to no work, contractors who
accept upfront fees and do not provide any of the work, shoddy workmanship,
and/or fail to honor home warranties.
8. Timeshares/Travel Clubs – 985 complaints from
consumers were regarding timeshare exit companies, time share companies and
travel clubs. Complaints involved allegations that companies promised to resell
timeshares and failed to do so, that companies failed to provide deeds for time
shares that consumers purchased, and that companies charged undisclosed fees or
unexpectedly and continuously increased fees for maintenance and other related
services. Complaints also involved the sale of travel club memberships that
promised discounts, opportunities, or services that were worthless or far less
than promised.
9. Health – 747 health-related complaints from
consumers involved healthcare industry complaints, including billing issues
regarding hospitals and doctor visits, supplemental purchases, and disputes
regarding health insurance payments.
10. Identity Theft – The 504 complaints from consumers
regarding Identity include when someone takes your personal information such as
your Social Security number, date of birth, credit card number, or bank account
information and uses it to commit fraud, then you can become a victim of
identity theft.
If you believe you have been a victim of a scam, contact our
law office at 816-524-4949 or www.Hoorfarlaw.com
