iPhone (Photo: WRN)
Telemarketing calls were once again the top consumer complaint filed with the state last year, although the nature of those calls has started to shift .
State Division of Consumer Protection Administrator Michelle Reinen says reports about those calls in the past typically focused on violations of the Do Not Call registry, which allows people to sign up to let telemarketers know they don’t wish to be contacted. In recent years though, complaints have begun to focus more on scam artists trying to enter homes through telephone lines. “Impostor IRS scams, the utility scams, and the Microsoft tech support scam…trying to get people’s personally identifiable information or money.”
Also in the top five were complaints about landlords and tenants, telecommunications companies, identity theft, and home improvement services. Reinen says many of those issues come down to people not understanding the terms of contracts or other service agreements. “Get the terms and conditions, regardless of the transaction they’re entering into, in writing,” she advises, also suggesting that people ask questions about provisions they don’t understand before signing.
Rounding out the the top ten were complaints about gas pump accuracy, medical service issues, motor vehicle sales and repair services, and concerns about the quality of fuel bought from gas stations.