Complaints about Violators of Do Not Call and Telemarketing Top the List of Consumer Complaints for 2012

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Amanda Bevis December 28, 2012 (850) 617-7737 Complaints about Violators of Do Not Call and Telemarketing Top the List of Consumer Complaints for 2012 Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services Received More Than 50,000 Complaints from Floridians Tallahassee, FL – As 2012 comes to a close, the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services released today the top 10 consumer complaints filed this year as of December 26. Violators of the Do Not Call List and telemarketers received more complaints than any other categories. The department’s consumer assistance center answered 191,200 calls and 33,450 emails this year. In addition, the consumer assistance operators participated in 4,917 online chats through a new online chat option available at www.800helpfla.com. 50,622 complaints were filed, a 21 percent increase over the previous year (2011). “We’re an important resource for consumers to find information about registered businesses and professionals, as well as learn how they can protect themselves from deceptive business practices,” said Commissioner of Agriculture Adam H. Putnam. “In many cases, we can moderate disputes between consumers and businesses and help recover money lost.” The top 10 complaints filed by consumers with the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services’ consumer assistance center from January 1 through December 26 are: Do Not Call – 17,337 Telemarketing – 4,159 Communication – 2,392 Landlord/Tenant – 1,564 Sellers of Travel – 1,515 Motor Vehicle Repair – 1,470 Credit/Banking – 1,460 Real Estate Broker/Salesperson – 1,126 Cable  – 1,120 Motor Vehicle Sales/Accessories – 1,078 Complaints about violators of Do Not Call has topped the list for four consecutive years, but this year saw a substantial increase over last year, growing from 11,769 in 2011 to 17,337 in 2012. The increase in complaints is consistent with the increase in subscribers to the Florida Do Not Call List. In April of this year, Commissioner Putnam announced subscriptions to Florida’s Do Not Call Listwould be offered at no cost to Floridians as a result of a measure passed during the 2012 legislative session. Since then, more than 330,000 numbers have been added to Florida’s Do Not Call List, increasing subscriptions five-fold. Of the 50,622 complaints received by the department, 33,251 were successfully resolved or closed. More than $3,858,000 has been recovered on behalf of Florida consumers this year. The Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services is the state’s clearinghouse for consumer complaints, protection and information. The consumer assistance center is staffed with trained analysts who answer more than 220,000 telephone calls, emails and chats annually from consumers and businesses. Staff is able to respond to questions about programs and regulations under the department’s purview, provide information on a wide variety of topics or direct callers to the appropriate government agency. Consumers who believe fraud has taken place can contact the department’s consumer protection and information hotline at 1-800-HELP-FLA (435-7352) or, for Spanish speakers, 1-800-FL-AYUDA (352-9832) For more information about the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, visitwww.FreshFromFlorida.com

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