Top 10 Consumer Complaints of 2011 Auto Sales Assisted Living
Top 10 Consumer Complaints of 2011 - Auto Sales, Assisted Living Scams & Fraud
The FTC says these offers and industries frustrate consumers and are ripe for rip-off artists.
Scams that target older Americans take a front seat.
Here's who will try to pick your pocket and how you can stop them.
— Receive access to exclusive information, benefits and discounts. A $1,900 tombstone that was never delivered. that customers never ordered, but were immediately billed for. An that refused to honor its promise to refund most of a $170,100 entry fee after a resident moved out. Those are just some of the rip-offs victimizing older Americans that are highlighted in the on the nation's top consumer complaints. About 290,000 complaints by citizens of all ages were filed to 38 consumer protection agencies in 22 states. For the first time, time-share reseller scams and rip-offs by retirement and assisted living facilities propelled "real estate" into the top 10. Trending upward among complaints that consumer agencies were hearing: Gripes about in rental apartments, , and offers for "" that are really a ruse to market other types of home improvements. The complete list: 1. Auto. Sales, leasing, repairs and towing disputes. 2. Credit/Debt. Billing and fee disputes, fraud related to , , , predatory lending and . 3. Home Improvement/Construction. Complaints of shoddy work and/or failure to start or complete the job. Photo by C.J. Burton/Corbis Real Estate fraud is one of the top ten consumer complaints. 4. Retail Sales. Complaints about false advertising; defective and non-delivered merchandise; and problems with rebates, coupons, gift cards and gift certificates. 5. Utilities. Service problems or billing disputes with phone, cable, satellite, Internet, electric and gas providers. 6. Services. Misrepresentations, shoddy work, failure to have required licenses or perform as promised. 7. (tie) Internet Sales. Misrepresentations, failure to deliver merchandise and other deceptive practices. Landlord/Tenant Issues. Failure to make repairs or provide promised amenities, deposit and rent disputes, illegal evictions and unhealthy or unsafe conditions. 8. Fraud. Bogus and , , , and the . 9. Real Estate. retirement communities and assisted living facilities, and 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 , or mail solicitations, . Sid Kirchheimer is the author of Scam-Proof Your Life, published by AARP Books/Sterling. Also of interest:
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Top 10 Consumer Complaints of 2011
Retirement and assisted living rip-offs help put real estate category on the list
Consumer Protection
The FTC says these offers and industries frustrate consumers and are ripe for rip-off artists.
Scams that target older Americans take a front seat.
Here's who will try to pick your pocket and how you can stop them.
— Receive access to exclusive information, benefits and discounts. A $1,900 tombstone that was never delivered. that customers never ordered, but were immediately billed for. An that refused to honor its promise to refund most of a $170,100 entry fee after a resident moved out. Those are just some of the rip-offs victimizing older Americans that are highlighted in the on the nation's top consumer complaints. About 290,000 complaints by citizens of all ages were filed to 38 consumer protection agencies in 22 states. For the first time, time-share reseller scams and rip-offs by retirement and assisted living facilities propelled "real estate" into the top 10. Trending upward among complaints that consumer agencies were hearing: Gripes about in rental apartments, , and offers for "" that are really a ruse to market other types of home improvements. The complete list: 1. Auto. Sales, leasing, repairs and towing disputes. 2. Credit/Debt. Billing and fee disputes, fraud related to , , , predatory lending and . 3. Home Improvement/Construction. Complaints of shoddy work and/or failure to start or complete the job. Photo by C.J. Burton/Corbis Real Estate fraud is one of the top ten consumer complaints. 4. Retail Sales. Complaints about false advertising; defective and non-delivered merchandise; and problems with rebates, coupons, gift cards and gift certificates. 5. Utilities. Service problems or billing disputes with phone, cable, satellite, Internet, electric and gas providers. 6. Services. Misrepresentations, shoddy work, failure to have required licenses or perform as promised. 7. (tie) Internet Sales. Misrepresentations, failure to deliver merchandise and other deceptive practices. Landlord/Tenant Issues. Failure to make repairs or provide promised amenities, deposit and rent disputes, illegal evictions and unhealthy or unsafe conditions. 8. Fraud. Bogus and , , , and the . 9. Real Estate. retirement communities and assisted living facilities, and 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 , or mail solicitations, . Sid Kirchheimer is the author of Scam-Proof Your Life, published by AARP Books/Sterling. Also of interest:
Cancel You are leaving AARP.org and going to the website of our trusted provider. The provider’s terms, conditions and policies apply. Please return to AARP.org to learn more about other benefits. Your email address is now confirmed. You'll start receiving the latest news, benefits, events, and programs related to AARP's mission to empower people to choose how they live as they age. You can also by updating your account at anytime. You will be asked to register or log in. Cancel Offer Details Disclosures