Dec 25, 2008 12:55 pm US/Eastern
"Do Not Call" Violations Head Consumer Complaints
Florida Consumers are upset about a lot of things, but what really angers them the most appears to be calls from telemarketers. Despite state and federal programs to stop annoying calls, Florida consumer officials say violations of the Do Not Call law again top Florida's consumer complaint list.
The Division of Consumer Services issued its top 10 list for 2008 on Wednesday, and it found that the greatest number of complaints it received in 2008 came from consumers who had been troubled by pesky telemarketers, even if they were on the state's Do Not Call list.
For an initial cost of $10 and an annual $5 renewal fee, Floridians can be placed on a list of consumers who do not want solicitation calls. The agency received 5,006 complaints of sales calls made to people on the list. Not all Floridians take advantage of the state program, as a similar federal ban is free.
However, sign-up for the Florida plan provides protections from callers who operate only within Florida. Their calls are not regulated by the federal Do Not Call list.
Here's how other types of complaints ranked:
Second, travel and vacation plans;
Third, telemarketing unrelated to the do not call list;
Fourth, credit and banking;
Fifth, communications;
Sixth, price gouging;
Seventh, motor vehicle sales;
Eighth, motor vehicle repairs;
Ninth, landlord-tenant issues;
Tenth, construction issues.
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