When New Yorkers purchase a product or service, they expect they are getting a quality product. Sometimes, those expectations fall short and consumers want to make sure they’re getting what they paid for, or at least a refund.
New York State Attorney General Letitia James released the top 10 consumer complaints the Attorney General’s Office received in 2024.
“Every day, my office fights back against a wide range of fraudulent, deceptive, and illegal practices, protecting New Yorkers from price gouging, deed theft, false advertising, and more,” said Attorney General James. “It is more important than ever that consumers and small businesses in New York know that my office is on their side and always looking out for their wallets. I encourage everyone to stay vigilant, follow our tips, and contact my office with information about scams and violations of consumer protection laws.”
Here are the rankings and the types of complaints received:
1. Retail Sales- That includes complaints about online purchases, price gouging, retail sales, defective merchandise, poor customer service, pet stores, and animal breeders (5,150 complaints received)
2. Landlord/Tenant-Security deposits, evictions, and tenant harassment (3,856 complaints received)
3. Automobile-Car sales, service, financing, repairs (3,761 complaints received)
4. Internet- Consumers submitted complaints about Internet services and service providers, data privacy and security, digital media, frauds through internet manipulation (3,708 complaints received)
5. Credit, Banking, and Mortgages- Debt collection, credit card billing, debt settlement, payday loans, credit repair, credit reporting agencies, identity theft, banking, loan modification scams, and mortgage lending and servicing (3,560 complaints received)
6. Consumer Services- Immigration service providers, alarm companies, dry cleaners, restaurants, movers, storage facilities, and services for personal or household use (3,156 complaints received)
7. Utilities-Wireless and residential phones, energy services and suppliers, cable and satellite companies (1,555 complaints received)
8. Home Repair/Improvement- Repair issues, deceitful contractors, and solar panel installations (1,225)
9. Entertainment- Events, concerts, ticket sales, and streaming services (859 complaints received)
10. Travel-Airline customer service, flight cancellations, and refunds (734 complaints received)
