Telemarketing Tops List of Top 10 Consumer Complaints for 2018

Telemarketing complaints saw a 17-percent rise in calls to
the Wisconsin Department of Ag, Trade and Consumer Protection in 2018, and
continued to top the annual list of top consumer complaints for another year. Over
4,800 complaints were collected by DATCP officials last year, with two out of
every five complaints received in 2018 being in regard to calls from unknown
numbers, unwanted sales calls or scam calls. Medical Services came in second on
the list, with 255 complaints – up from 195 in 2017, for a 30% increase in
calls. These complaints are related to clinics, hospitals and professional
services in the medical field – and were overwhelmingly related to billing
disputes, misrepresentations and unauthorized charges.

The rest of the “Top 10” consumer complaints include:

3. Landlord/Tenant disputes – 1,188 complaints

4. Telecommunications – 681 complaints

5. Home Improvement – 489 complaints

6. Identity Theft – 250 complaints

7. Motor Vehicle Repair – 196 complaints

8. Gas Pumps –  169
complaints – received by the Bureau of Weights and Measures

9. Motor Vehicle Sales – 155 complaints

10. Fuel Quality – 119 complaints – received by the Bureau
of Weights and Measures

DATCP says, in all, they received 11,303 complaints to the
Bureau of Consumer Protection and another 390 complaints to the Bureau of
Weights and Measures. Read more about the top consumer complaints of 2018 here