Press releases
15 January 2007
Top Ten Complaints
Consumer Direct South West reveals top ten complaints in 2006.
The figures released today show that Consumer Direct in the South West logged over 4,000 cases about second hand vehicles purchased from an independent dealer - that’s 4.7% of the total 100,360 cases recorded during 2006!
In the South West, complaints about mobile phone service agreements came second with 2,413 (2.4% of total cases logged). The lowest number of registered complaints in the South West top ten concerned internet service providers, with 1,209 cases logged.
Nationally there is a similar picture. Consumer Direct logged 37,594 cases about second hand vehicles bought from independent dealers, 3.9 per cent of the total 963,684 cases recorded in 2006. Consumer Direct, the government’s telephone and online advice service, received more complaints about second hand cars bought from independent dealers than for any other specific goods or services in 2006.
Each case recorded by Consumer Direct is logged using one of 453 product or service codes, enabling the service to build a picture of the areas causing most concern to consumers. This and other data is then used to inform and assist the work of Local Authority Trading Standards Services and the Office of Fair Trading.
By sorting the 453 specific complaint codes into 66 general complaint categories, the top three complaint areas in the South West were second hand cars accounting for 6.4% of cases, home maintenance and improvements at 5.8% and telecommunications at 5.3%.
Consumer Direct nationally took just over 1.5 million telephone calls and emails from consumers in 2006, up 79 per cent against the previous year, due in part to the opening of three new contact centres (in the North West, North East and the West Midlands) and a growing awareness of the service among the general public.
Christine Cryne, Director for Consumer Direct at the Office of Fair Trading said:
’In 2006, Consumer Direct successfully extended its operations to cover the whole of Great Britain. By offering more people access to the service, we have been able to gain greater intelligence about the main issues facing consumers.‘
Consumer Direct provides information about consumer rights and advises callers on how to seek redress when things go wrong. The service is managed by the Office of Fair Trading and delivered in partnership with Local Authority Trading Standards Services.
People needing consumer advice can call 08454 040506
South West Top Ten Complaints about specific goods & services in 2006
South West - Overall complaint trends in 2006
Category No of cases % of total cases
Second Hand Cars 6428 6.4
Home Maintenance and Improvements 5824 5.8
Telecommunications 5338 5.3
Furniture 4111 4.1
Audio-visual 3521 3.5
Betting, Competitions, prize draws and business guides 3192 3.2
Large domestic appliances 3057 3.0
Personal computers, accessories, software and services 2904 2.9
| Category | No. of Cases |
% |
| Second hand cars purchased from independent dealers | 4750 | 4.7 |
| Mobile Phones (service agreements) | 2413 | 2.4 |
| Personal Goods and Services (other) | 1937 | 1.9 |
| Mobile Phones (hardware) | 1739 | 1.7 |
| Upholstered furniture | 1628 | 1.6 |
| TVs | 1584 | 1.6 |
| Car repairs and servicing from independent garages | 1490 | 1.5 |
| Prize draws | 1423 | 1.4 |
| Personal computers | 1282 | 1.3 |
| Internet service providers | 1208 | 1.2 |
