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2020 Consumer Complaint Survey Report

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2020 Consumer Complaint Survey Report 2020 Consumer Complaint Survey Report July 26, 2021 1620 Eye Street, NW, Suite 200 | Washington, DC 20006 | (202) 387-6121 | ConsumerFed.org Table of Contents Introduction ................................................................................................................ 1 Key Findings ................................................................................................................ 2 Top Ten Complaints in 2020 ......................................................................................... 3 Worst Complaints in 2020 ............................................................................................ 4 Fastest-Growing Complaints in 2020 ............................................................................ 4 New Consumer Problems in 2020 ................................................................................ 4 New Consumer Protections in 2020 ............................................................................. 5 Debt Collection .................................................................................................................. 5 Employment ...................................................................................................................... 5 Financial Assistance ........................................................................................................... 6 Home Improvement/Construction ..................................................................................... 6 Landlord/Tenant ................................................................................................................ 6 Price Gouging ..................................................................................................................... 7 Pandemic Complaints .................................................................................................. 9 Auto .................................................................................................................................. 9 Business Services ............................................................................................................. 10 Canceled Events ............................................................................................................... 10 Credit /Financial Services ................................................................................................. 13 Food ................................................................................................................................ 14 Fraud/Misleading Claims .................................................................................................. 14 Health Clubs/Gyms .......................................................................................................... 16 Household Goods ............................................................................................................. 17 ID Theft ............................................................................................................................ 17 Internet Service ............................................................................................................... 17 Landlord/Tenant .............................................................................................................. 17 Medical Billing ................................................................................................................. 18 Price Gouging ................................................................................................................... 19 Retail ............................................................................................................................... 22 Schools/Childcare ............................................................................................................ 22 Real Estate ....................................................................................................................... 23 2020 Consumer Complaint Survey Report | Consumer Federation of America ii Services ........................................................................................................................... 23 Travel/Vacations .............................................................................................................. 23 Ten Tips for Navigating the COVID-19 Pandemic (and Other Disasters) ...................... 27 Real-World Complaints .............................................................................................. 29 Auto ................................................................................................................................ 29 Business Services ............................................................................................................. 33 Communications .............................................................................................................. 34 Credit/Debt...................................................................................................................... 35 Employment .................................................................................................................... 38 Fraud ............................................................................................................................... 39 Health Products/Services ................................................................................................. 44 Home Solicitations ........................................................................................................... 49 Household Goods ............................................................................................................. 50 ID Theft ............................................................................................................................ 51 Internet Sales ................................................................................................................... 51 Landlord/Tenant .............................................................................................................. 54 Moving ............................................................................................................................ 56 Pets ................................................................................................................................. 56 Real Estate/Timeshares .................................................................................................... 57 Retail ............................................................................................................................... 59 Services ........................................................................................................................... 60 Towing ............................................................................................................................. 61 Travel .............................................................................................................................. 62 Public Outreach ............................................................................................................... 73 Methodology ............................................................................................................. 80 Appendix A: Agencies Participating in the 2020 CFA Consumer Complaint Survey ...... 81 Appendix B: Tips from the 2020 CFA Consumer Complaint Survey Report .................. 83 2020 Consumer Complaint Survey Report | Consumer Federation of America iii Introduction Consumer Federation of America1 conducts an annual survey of city, county and state consumer agencies across the country to ask about the complaints they received in the previous year. Thirty-four agencies from 18 states participated in this year’s survey. These agencies mediate a wide variety of disputes between consumers and businesses, and sometimes between businesses. Many state and local consumer agencies are also empowered to take formal action to stop bad practices and obtain restitution. Educating consumers and businesses is another key mission of these agencies. The survey provides a snapshot of the most common, fastest-growing, worst, and newest types of complaints reported to state and local consumer agencies in 2020. As always, the survey report includes complaint stories from agencies’ files, examples of new consumer protection laws enacted in their jurisdictions, and descriptions of agencies’ “biggest achievements.” This year’s survey report is different than usual, however, due to COVID-19. We asked the agencies about the pandemic-related complaints they received last year and created a special section on that topic, but the impact of COVID-19 is reflected throughout the report. The pandemic forced many businesses to close, disrupted the supply chain, made providing repairs and other services more difficult, led to canceled events and travel plans, and created financial stress for companies and consumers. State and local consumer agencies tried to obtain refunds for consumers when possible, helped to prevent foreclosures and “self-help” evictions, and dealt with a deluge of complaints about price-gouging and pandemic-related scams. COVID-19 also significantly changed the way state and local consumer agencies operated. Most had to switch to working entirely remotely. Some agencies provided staff with cell phones and laptops and set up secure systems to enable them to work entirely from home. Others sent small numbers of personnel into
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