2020 Consumer Complaint Survey Report

1 1620 Eye Street, NW, Suite 200 | Washington, DC 20006 | (202) 387-6121 | 2020 Consumer Complaint Survey Report July 26, 2021 2020 Consumer Complaint Survey Report | Consumer Federation of America ii 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.

2 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 iii Services .. 23 Travel/Vacations .. 23 Ten Tips for Navigating the COVID-19 Pandemic (and Other Disasters).

3 27 Real-World Complaints .. 29 Auto .. 29 Business Services .. 33 Communications .. 34 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 .

4 83 2020 Consumer Complaint Survey Report | Consumer Federation of America 1 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.

5 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.

6 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.

7 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 their offices on a rotating basis to handle the phones and mail. Their staffs sometimes fielded calls about problems totally unrelated to Consumer protection because people were unable to get through to other state or local agencies.

8 Technology became essential to state and local Consumer agencies operations. They encouraged consumers to communicate via email and used online platforms for administrative hearings and educational events that would normally be conducted in person. It was difficult to make these changes on very short notice, but as the Report shows, these agencies rose to the challenge and continued to provide vital information and assistance to the public they serve. 1 Consumer Federation of America is an association of over 250 non-profit Consumer groups that was established in 1968 to advance the Consumer interest through research, advocacy, and education.

9 2020 Consumer Complaint Survey Report | Consumer Federation of America 2 Key Findings The 34 state and local Consumer agencies that participated in the Survey collectively handled 280,413 complaints and recovered or saved more than $262,973,073 for consumers in 2020. The number of complaints does not include requests for advice or information nor does it reflect how many consumers benefitted from legal actions agencies took. Furthermore, the amount saved or recovered does not take into account the money that consumers recovered themselves or avoided losing by following the advice agencies provided to them, or the savings to businesses from agencies successful efforts to mediate disputes with consumers out of court.

10 Eleven agencies listed complaints related to COVID-19 in their top ten, which resulted in a new category, pandemic, being tied with fraud and household goods at #10 in our top ten complaints. Its actual ranking is probably higher, however, because not all agencies created a separate category for complaints related to the pandemic. Those complaints could be included in credit, entertainment, fraud, health clubs, internet sales, landlord/tenant, retail, travel, services, utilities, and other categories. Pandemic-related complaints topped the lists of worst, fastest-growing, and new complaints last year.