These are the Types of Businesses Michigan has the Most Complaints About
Customer service is definitely lacking in these types of Michigan businesses that generated the most complaints to the Attorney General.
Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel has released her office’s Top 10 Consumer Complaints for 2018 to help consumers make well-informed decisions about where to spend their money. In 2018, there were nearly 9,000 consumer complaints filed, with these business categories singled-out the most:
Top 10 Consumer Complaint Categories of 2018
- Credit and Financial Concerns: Since 2006, this remains the top consumer complaint category, with 911 complaints in 2018. Complaints in this category cover a variety of areas including debt collection and reporting, credit repair, payday lending, and mortgage brokering.
- Telecommunications, Cable, and Satellite TV: Moves up from three to two this year. This category includes complaints involving issues like robocalls, telemarketing, wireless communications, and cable and satellite TV services. Despite moving up to the second spot, complaints in these categories were down more than 10 percent in 2018.
- Motor Vehicle and Automobiles: Also moving up a spot from four to three, the total number of complaints in this category remained relatively steady. Complaints against used car dealers continue to top this category, with other top complaints involving motor vehicles and car bodies, new car dealers, and passenger car rentals.
- Internet: Moving up a slot from five to four, the total number of complaints in this computer-based category went down by five percent. Almost half of these complaints involved online purchases and a significant number of complaints were filed against computer communication and internet service providers.
- Retail: Up from six last year, retail complaints included complaints about general merchandise, food and furniture stores, business services, and eating and drinking places.
- Contractors: The fifth category to move up a spot from last year's list are complaints about residential building construction services, landscaping services, plumbing, heating and air condition services, and special trade contractors. In 2018, consumers filed 20 percent more complaints than 2017.
- Personal Service Providers: Down five slots from last year’s No. 2 spot, complaints in this category went down by 43 percent. (2017’s jump was directly attributable to the large number of complaints against western Michigan-based gym chain Family Fitness.) Complaints in this category additionally range from dating services and beauty shops to home security and tax preparation services.
- Landlord and Tenant: Holding steady at eight, this category had a 15 percent increase with almost 500 complaints. Most of the complaints in this category involved apartment owners and managers; complaints against mobile home site operators and condominium associations accounted for about 10 percent each of the total complaints in this category.
- Health Service Providers: Staying at nine, this category’s total complaints decreased by 7 percent complaints in 2018. The category includes health service providers like doctors, dentists, hospitals and medical clinics.
- Gasoline, Fuel, and Energy: This category remains steady at 10, with complaints against gasoline service stations and gas and electric services dominating this category.
Any surprises here? Anyone can submit a complaint by visiting mi.gov/agcomplaints or by calling 877-765-8388.