Consumer complaints about products

By Semoon Chang

In a market economy, consumers buy products that sellers sell. It is not unusual, however, to find that consumers are not happy about the products that they buy. Consumers then complain. I have good data on how much American consumers complain about the products that they buy. Although I do not know the extent of consumer complaints in Korea, it would be safe to assume that the types of complaints are similar. In America, there exists the Consumer Sentinel Network (CSN), which is a secure online database of millions of consumer complaints available only to law enforcement. Law enforcement partners worldwide can use information in the database to enhance and coordinate investigations.

On Feb. 27, this year, the U.S. Federal Trade Commission released the top 10 consumer complaints on the basis of more than 2.5 million complaints that they received during 2014. Topping the list are identity theft with 13 percent and debt collection with 11 percent of total complaints. The third is imposter scams in which con artists impersonate Internal Revenue Service and other government officials. The rest of the top ten complaints are: telephone and mobile services (7 percent); banks and lenders (5 percent); prizes, sweepstakes and lotteries (4 percent); auto-related complaints (3 percent); shop-at-home and catalog sales (3 percent); television and electronic media (2 percent); and finally, internet services (2 percent).

Top 10 consumer complaints during 2013 were: identity theft (14 percent), debt collection (10 percent), banks and lenders (7 percent), impostor scams (6 percent), telephone and mobile services (6 percent), prizes, sweepstakes and lotteries (4 percent), auto-related complaints (4 percent), shop-at-home and catalog sales (3 percent), television and electronic media (3 percent), and advance payments for credit services (2 percent) that was tied with internet services (2 percent), health care (2 percent), credit cards (2 percent), business and job opportunities (2 percent), and credit bureaus, information furnishers and report users (2 percent). Identity theft, debt collection and imposter scams continue to lead consumer complaints in the U.S.

Let me give you specific examples of why consumers are complaining. In auto-related businesses, complaints arise from misleading or deceptive claims regarding auto prices, financing, leasing or warranties. Complaints also relate to repair and maintenance issues with newly purchased used or new cars, including dissatisfaction with service provided by auto mechanics. Complaints in banking and lending relate to deceptive or predatory mortgage lending practices such as very low initial rates that are raised substantially after a year; and numerous customer service and account issues relating to payday loans, student loans, auto title loans, and various fees as well as overdraft charges. Payday loans are especially a dangerous one with very high interest rates.

In buyers' clubs, a buyers’ club membership becomes a fraud when consumers are billed for "memberships" they did not agree to purchase. Frequently, consumers are offered a free-trial offer and are automatically enrolled and charged fees once the free-trial period is over. In clothing, textiles and jewelry, complaints relate to fake or replica goods that are passed off as genuine. This happens often at flea markets. Complaints also relate to failure to honor refund or return policies. Unwanted or unauthorized software installations and downloads are frequently the source of complaints in computer equipment and software.

With credit cards, complaints relate to interest rate changes, late fees, credit disputes, and overcharges as well as fraudulent credit card offers and phishing attempts. In debt collection, debt collectors calls repeatedly or continuously, and falsely represents the amount or status of debt. Debt collectors falsely threaten a lawsuit, uses profane language, and fails to identify self as debt collector. In shop-at-home and catalog sales, complaints relate to undisclosed costs, failure to deliver on time, non-delivery, and refusal to honor a guarantee on purchases made via the Internet, telephone, or mail.

In foreign money offers and counterfeit check scams, complaints relate to letters or e-mails offering the "opportunity" to share in a percentage of millions of dollars that a self-proclaimed government official is trying to transfer illegally out of a foreign country in return for money by asking bank account numbers or other identifying information from the victim. Finally in impostor scams, complaints relate to scammers claiming to be friends, family, a romantic interest, companies or government agencies to induce people to send money or divulge personal information. Scammers also pose themselves as friends, children or relatives stranded in foreign countries without money, or claim to be affiliated with a private entity such as a charity and ask for donation.

As the economy gets more complicated over time, there are bound to be more problems and thus complaints. Businesses may want to anticipate the complaints and try to take care of potential problem areas before complaints arise. Consumers, on the other hand, may want to be aware of the real surroundings that have no shortage of liars, cheaters, and scammers.

Semoon Chang is the director of Gulf Coast Center for Impact Studies.