Telemarketing Tops DATCP Consumer Complaints List for 2018

Telemarketing complaints are on the rise and continue to top the annual list of consumer complaints collected by the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection (DATCP). More than two out of every five complaints received by the agency in 2018 were in regard to calls from unknown numbers, unwanted sales calls or scam calls. This represents a 17% increase in telemarketing complaints over 2017. The second most complained about topic is Landlord/Tenant related issues. Most of these are related to deposits. Telecommunications remains in the number three spot, spanning a wide spectrum of service providers, with customers making allegations about billing disputes, misleading representations, unauthorized charges and performance issues. Home improvement complaints, which are number four on the list include a wide range of allegations, with consumers alleging that contractors failed to provide the services promised under a contract, Complaints regarding medical services jumped up to the fifth spot in only its second year as a category.