Single Page | 
Multiple Pages
Home > BizTimes Daily > Archives > February 13, 2007
Mail order companies top BBB complaint list
Published February 13, 2007 - BizTimes Daily
In 2006, consumers lodged 468 complaints with the Wisconsin Better Business Bureau against mail order and catalog shopping companies, making them the most complained-about industry of the year.
This was the third year in a row that industry has been at or near the top of the list of the most complained-about industries in the state.
In two years, complaints against mail order and catalog shopping companies have risen 45 percent.
Ranked by category, the top 10 industries yielding the most complaints to the BBB in 2006 were: (1) mail order & catalog shopping; (2) auto dealers-new cars; (3) auto repair & service; (4) furniture-retail; (5) fulfillment services; (6) Internet shopping services; (7) telephone companies; (8) mortgages; (9) cellular telephone equipment and supplies; and (10) manufacturers and producers.
In addition, the Wisconsin BBB received 24,514 inquiries about roofing contractors in 2006, putting them at the top of the list for most inquired about businesses. The other top industries for inquiries were mortgages, new car dealers and auto repair services.
More than 837,528 inquiries were made to the BBB last year, including almost 13,000 bilingual inquiries. The number is a 48 percent jump from the previous year's mark of 567,202 inquiries.
"This is good news for Wisconsin consumers, more of whom are using the BBB's informative reliability reports to make pre-purchase decisions," said Randall Hoth, president and chief executive officer of the Wisconsin BBB.
The Wisconsin BBB's Web site received a record number of hits – more than 15.25 million – in 2006, up 40 percent from 2005. On the Web site, www.wisconsin.bbb.org, consumers can find reliability reports on Wisconsin companies and nonprofit organizations.
