[complaints] Washington Top 20 Complaints Unchanged At The Top
The most common complaints against Washington businesses remained largely unchanged from 2006 to 2007 according to Washington Attorney General Rob McKenna.
Complaints against communications companies, collections agencies, stores, auto sales, and contractors continue to occupy the top spots among companies Washington consumers complain about. Although many common complaint categories remain in the Top 20 for years regardless of state, Washington did see some interesting surprises.
Landlord/tenant disputes jumped from position 21 to #7, and cable networks moved up six spots from #16 to #10. Despite the mortgage crisis that may be triggering a nationwide recession, complaints about mortgage lenders only showed a slight increase and remained outside the top 10 categories.
Consumer Help Web sees similar complaint patterns from our clients. Auto and communication companies are among the top issues year in and year out. Maryland is another state where this trend is almost repeated. After
winning a $1700 credit for a Maryland consumer on his phone bill, Consumer Help Web also helped a customer there recently with an auto manufacturer issue. The consumer, M. Wilson of Hagerstown, Maryland, later wrote us,
Toyota corrected the problem with my navigation system free of charge last week. The system has been working fine ever since. All that I can say is thanks. I always get results when I contact your service.
Now that National Consumer Protection Week is over, many media outlets will stop covering so many stories about consumer advocacy and customer service problems. Companies like Consumer Help Web continue reporting on issues in this blog and as we
resolve complaints year-round from consumers who can't get a company to respond to them.
Labels: complaint, complaint letter, Maryland, Rob McKenna, Washington
[solving complaints] FTC Chair Leaving With Mixed Reviews, Consumer Help Web Activity Often Earlier Than Agency's
As Deborah Majoras plans to leave her leadership role at the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) this spring, she leaves the Bush administration with yet another big consumer hole to quickly fill.
Majoras, an attorney in private practice before her appointment, will join Procter & Gamble as their General Counsel, a consumer affairs move that is as high voltage as a company can make. Fending off consumer complaints and lawsuits is much easier when your inhouse attorney was in charge of the federal watchdog agency.
Consumer Help Web often resolves many complaints that later make their way to the FTC and other agencies. We've long proposed that government agencies should survey private companies and law firms about consumer issues, just as they do with local and state agencies. Giving details is not as important as sharing that we have just resolved 3 complaints this months on a particular wireless carrier or company that was leaving consumers in the lurch.
Majoras' leaving reminds me of cases the agency brought under her tenure like CortiSlim. The
FTC took action against the weight loss industry in 2007 after years of complaints. Fortunately for consumer, ConsumerHelpWeb.com was helping consumers three years earlier against that very same company.
Just one example of how our complaint resolution service works fast:
In June 2004, Al Di Grazia of Hayward, California wrote us about the very same issues with CortiSlim the FTC later investigated. We immediately contacted the company's senior executives, and Mr. Di Grazia's complaint was quickly resolved.
He even received a check in that time for more than $100. Mr. Di Grazia wrote us days after we resolved his complaint against CortiSlim:
I was not getting anywhere with the other company. After contacting Consumer Help Web, I received my full refund in less than one week. I wanted to let you know that you are great.
There is a place and need for FTC enforcement and combined recalls from federal agencies. There is also a place for consumer advocates like ConsumerHelpWeb.com who can quickly get things done and help those agencies identify trends months, if not years, before they are known and acted upon.
We appreciate Ms. Majoras' past service and while we understand the allure of a private sector paycheck, we remain hopeful that as government agencies collate data and build cases that they will look to the trenches of consumer affairs where action is being taken much earlier.
Labels: complaint letter, CortiSlim, FTC, resolution
