TALLAHASSEE, Fla. -- Violators of the Do Not Call List and telemarketers once again top the list of consumer complaints in Florida.
The
Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services is out with its annual list of things that make consumers angry.
Operators answered more than 19,000 calls and 33,000 emails from people who had a complaint about something. Workers also took part in more than 4,900 online chats.
And out of all those calls, emails and chats, complaints about Do Not Call violations topped the list.
Here's the breakdown:
1. Do Not Call (17,337)
2. Telemarketing (4,159)
3. Communication (2,392)
4. Landlord/Tenant (1,564)
5. Sellers of Travel (1,515)
6. Motor Vehicle Repair (1,470)
7. Credit/Banking (1,460)
8. Real Estate Broker/Salesperson (1,126)
9. Cable (1,120)
10. Motor Vehicle Sales/Accessories (1,078)
Do Not Call violations have been at the top of this list for the past four years.
But this year saw more complaints than last year, going from 11,769 in 2011 to 17,337 in 2012.
Part of that growth is tied to the increase of subscribers to Florida's Do Not Call list. The state of Florida decided to make it free earlier this year.
Of the 50,622 complaints, 33,251 were successfully resolved or closed and more than $3.8 million has been recovered.
If you have a consumer complaint, call the information hotline at 1-800-HELP-FLA (435-7352) or
chat online.
