NEWARK
– Complaints related to home improvements
generated the largest category of complaints
filed by consumers last year with the State
Division of Consumer Affairs, representing
7.7% of all consumer complaints received.
The
Division today released its Top 10 list
of consumer complaints in 2011 to mark the
start of National Consumer Protection Week.
A total of 12,240 consumer complaints were
filed with the Division last year.
“We
encourage consumers to file complaints with
us or their county consumer affairs offices
whenever they suspect a business has violated
their rights in the marketplace,”
Attorney General Jeffrey S. Chiesa said.
“Consumer complaints are a key tool
that our investigators use to detect violators
of the state Consumer Fraud Act and in identifying
emerging scams targeted at consumers.”
The
Top 10 consumer complaint categories in
New Jersey last year, and the number of
complaints for each, were as follows:
“Debt
collection complaints rose from 8th place
in 2010 to 3rd place last year, likely reflecting
the difficult economy we’re in,”
said Thomas R. Calcagni, Director of the
New Jersey Division of Consumer Affairs.
“Home improvement and motor vehicles
complaints switched positions but continued
as the two top complaint categories in the
last two calendar years.”
National
Consumer Protection Week (NCPW)
is a coordinated campaign that encourages
consumers nationwide to take full advantage
of their consumer rights and make better-informed
decisions. NCPW 2012 runs from March 4 through
10 and additional information is available
at www.NCPW.gov
.
Consumers
who believe they have been cheated or scammed
by a business, or suspect any other form
of marketplace abuse, can file a complaint
with the New Jersey Division of Consumer
Affairs by visiting its website
or by calling 1-800-242-5846
(toll free within New Jersey ) or 973-504-6200.
Follow
the Division of Consumer Affairs on Facebook,
and check our online calendar of upcoming
Consumer Outreach
events.
