Charlotte-area consumers complained most last year about folks who sell and repair cars as well as build and fix homes, according to a list to be released today by the Better Business Bureau.
Overall, the number of complaints the Charlotte-area BBB received last year rose 30 percent last year to a record 11,389. BBB President Tom Bartholomy attributed the boost to the bureau's rising resolution rate, which reached a record 84 percent last year.
New car auto dealers topped the BBB's complaint list for the third straight year, though along with auto repair, gripes dropped nearly 8 percent from 2005. Complaints about used car sales, however, rose by one-third.
Scott Clark, who sits on the BBB and Charlotte area auto dealers boards, said he's doesn't know any specific reason why new car sellers continue to head the complaint list and said the local trade group is not discussing how to reduce gripes.
Home building and repair complaints nearly doubled from 2005. No one home building or repair company dominated gripes, though a good portion of complaints involved poor craftsmanship by repair businesses, Bartholomy said. A call to a Charlotte-area industry board chairman was not returned Monday.
Another industry mover is cable/satellite television up 60 percent, led by delayed service calls from Time Warner Cable, Bartholomy said.
Time Warner said its 143 complaints, while up 76 percent from 2005, represent a tiny percentage of its 400,000 customer base. The company said it's working to reduce customer gripes with additional staffing and has resolved all of its BBB complaints.
Hair removing made the top 10 for the first time with the closing of two laser centers, Charlotte Laser Center and Bella Voi. Complaints about cell phone companies, meanwhile, fell 27 percent.
The Charlotte-area BBB, which covers 20 counties in North and South Carolina, received a record 282,000 requests for reports on companies last year.
The bureau is often a last resort for consumers. It offers to mediate unresolved complaints with a business.
File complaints or check company records at or 704-927-8611.
These industries generated the most customer gripes to the Charlotte-area Better Business Bureau last year. (The number in parentheses is the 2005 total.):
1.
Auto Dealers (new cars) -- 352 (384)
2. Home builders -- 273 (148)
3. Home improvements -- 214 (125)
4.
Auto repair -- 212 (229)
5. Furniture -- 210 (186)
6. Cable/satellite TV -- 208 (130)
7.
Auto dealers (used cars) -- 147 (111)
8.
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