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Why American consumers complained more about cars and credit cards in 2022

Why American consumers complained more about cars and credit cards in 2022

Today, shopping is not just a spending activity, it is an enjoyable financial experience for many consumers. But not all companies or products generate this satisfaction. A new report found that American buyers complained a lot about buying and repairing cars and renting credit cards.

Consumer Federation of America (CFA) Posted on Wednesday Annual list of the most important complaints filed with consumer protection agencies Cities, counties, and states in the United States. In all, they handled nearly 600,000 complaints in 2022 and recovered more than $740 million to consumers through mediations, court actions and other means, the CFA said.

This compilation report on which products have received the most complaints from state and local agencies may be useful to consumers who have not yet purchased this or that product or service, Think twice before you do that.

here they are The three products that US consumers complained about the most during the year 2022.

1. Car purchase and repair

New and used auto sales and repairs were among the biggest complaints US dealers received from consumers. This category has held the top spot for seven consecutive years.CFA said.

The report noted that when attempting to purchase, lease, or repair their cars, SUVs, and trucks, “consumers have filed complaints about add-on products and services, bait-and-switch pricing, and mechanical condition issues.”

The report cites the example of a person who rented a Kia from a local dealership in Florida for a dealer fee of $995. The local consumer affairs agency disputed the charge and the merchant refunded the amount to the customer.

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2. Home repairs and renovations

If buying a home wasn’t easy, home repairs and renovations won’t make it any easier. This item ranked second in consumer complaints.

“Many consumers have complained of shoddy and incomplete home repair work done by people without the proper licensing or experience,” says the CFA report. Consumers often pay for services upfront and You’re having trouble getting a refund or correcting poor work When the relationship deteriorates.

The CFA included as an example the case of an elderly person who hired a contractor to perform a small repair in their home. The contractor convinced the owner that he needed a major remodel and proceeded to bill him $170,000 for the work, which the owner claimed was poorly done and “overpriced”. He entered the local Department of Consumer and Business Affairs, which succeeded in getting the contractor to return $125,000 to the landlord.

3. Credit cards

Among the complaints about credit cards It includes deceptive and fraudulent actions to charge an unfair interest.

Among the stories in the report, a Hispanic cardholder signed up for a new credit card with a 0% promotional rate for a period of time. To avoid high interest charges, the consumer must pay their balance in full before the due date. This is what the customer experienced two days before the promotional plan ended. However, the credit card company’s computer system was down for a few days, after which the company charged the customer interest that could have been avoided if the company’s system had been working. The interest amounted to nearly $2,000, according to the CFA report.

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The local consumer affairs office reminded the credit card company that, in fact, “They themselves realized the error of their system And they were allowing consumers to extend if they had a payment due during the outage,” the report noted. As it should have been, the customer got his money back with an apology.

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