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(Des Moines, IA) -- The Iowa Attorney General's Office is sharing the most common consumer complaints reported in 2023. The AG's office received over 4,000 consumer complaints last year.
The most complaints were car-related, involving misrepresentations of new or used cars, disputes over warranties, as well as repair complaints. Health care complaints came in second.
Attorney General Brenna Bird has released the top consumer complaints received by the Attorney General’s office in 2022. Last year, the Iowa Attorney General’s office received over 4,000 consumer complaints across more than 30 different industries.
“We’re protecting consumers and holding scammers accountable,” said Attorney General Bird. “We see cases all too often where scammers convince people to give up their personal information or large sums of money by taking advantage of people’s emotions. Our office will keep fighting to protect Iowans from these terrible crimes by working with fraud victims and raising awareness on how to recognize a scam or fraudulent business. Our goal is to stop the scam.”
Top 10 Consumer Complaints in 2022, by industry:
1. Auto
The Iowa Attorney General’s Office received 532 automotive related consumer complaints, involving misrepresentations in the sale of new or used cars, disputes over automobile warranty details, as well as faulty repair and servicing issues.
2. Healthcare
The Iowa Attorney General’s Office received 447 healthcare related consumer complaints. Complaints involve disagreements over health insurance payments, billing related to hospital and doctor visits, and consumer dissatisfaction with supplemental purchases.
3. Home Improvement
The Iowa Attorney General’s Office received 359 home improvement related consumer complaints. Complaints include the failure of contractors to finish or complete jobs and poor workmanship quality.
4. Imposter
The Iowa Attorney General’s Office received 341 imposter scam related consumer complaints. Common scams include fake job offers, online shopping scams, lottery scams, romance scams, and IRS/social security scams.
5. Personal Services
The Iowa Attorney General’s Office received 326 personal services related consumer complaints. Complaints involve dissatisfaction with timeshare companies and other travel related experiences. Timeshare grievances include companies charging undisclosed fees and increasing fees for maintenance and other services. Complaints also allege companies did not resell timeshares after previously agreeing to do so and that companies did not provide property deeds after consumers purchased their timeshares. The top travel complaints involve airline flight delays or cancellations and the misrepresentation of costs. Also common is the sale of exercise club memberships that promise discounts and other amenities but later turn out to be much less valuable than consumers initially expected.
6. Personal Goods
The Iowa Attorney General’s Office received 258 personal goods related consumer complaints. Complaints focus on food purchases, clothing and accessory purchases, as well as the validity of gift cards. Consumers report businesses price-gouging certain food products, notably in the aftermath of natural disasters. Consumers also filed complaints of false advertising for clothing products, failure to deliver merchandise, and issues with gift card activation and use.
7. Home Goods & Services
The Iowa Attorney General’s Office received 252 home goods and services related consumer complaints. Complaints involve issues related to appliances, furnishings, and electronics. Consumers reported misleading or false advertising, late delivery times, faulty appliances, and companies refusing product replacement for furniture and other major appliances. Solar panel installation is also a highly reported issue among consumers. Complaints related to solar include delayed or improper installation, shoddy solar panels, and property damage caused by installation.
8. Media
The Iowa Attorney General’s Office received 170 media related consumer complaints. Complaints involve satellite and cable television, bundled media services, and magazines. Consumers report problems with promotional offers, billing, contracts, cancellations, signal quality, and general service. If doing business with a third-party, consumers should know where the business is located, how to contact the provider, and get any agreements in writing. Other issues can be avoided by knowing exactly what a provider is offering and charging.
9. Housing & Realty
The Iowa Attorney General’s Office received 156 housing and realty related consumer complaints. Complaints involve rental housing, real estate sales, manufactured/mobile homes, and home building. Consumers often report false or misleading information on what to expect and hidden, extra charges. Complaints involving mortgages are also common with consumers citing inflated appraisals, foreclosure scams, and the use of a false identity for loan applications.
10. Miscellaneous
The Iowa Attorney General’s Office received 226 miscellaneous consumer complaints. Common complaints reported by consumers include a variety of problems including, but not limited to, employment, home safety devices, and personal disputes.