Attorney General Phil Weiser announces top consumer complaints of 2023 as reports reach new record

March 4, 2024 (DENVER) – Attorney General Phil Weiser kicked off National Consumer Protection Week today by revealing the top 10 complaints reported to the Colorado Department of Law in 2023, which included consumer issues with retail services, professional services, and automobile sales and service.

In total, Colorado consumers filed 20,390 complaints last year, topping 20,000 complaints for the first time. The total number of complaints rose 14% from 2022.

“The painful reality is too many businesses are cutting corners, putting unfair burdens on consumers, and engaging in deceptive practices,” said Weiser. “Thankfully, consumers are increasingly aware that we are there for them, and they are reporting problems to us. Complaints filed by consumers don’t just help us resolve individual consumer issues where we can do so, but they also help us protect other consumers by informing our enforcement efforts to hold bad actors accountable.”

Every year, the department partners with the Federal Trade Commission during National Consumer Protection Week to educate consumers about their rights as consumers, how to avoid scams and fraud, and to highlight the importance of filing complaints.

The top 10 types of complaints and inquiries received in 2023 are: 

Top Types of Complaints & Inquiries for 2023     
Description   2023 
1. Retail Sales  These include complaints relating to unauthorized memberships or subscriptions, service and delivery issues, and cancellation and termination issues.  1666 
2. Professional Services These complaints include issues regarding product and service warranties, business support, and legal–related services.  1076 

3. Automobile Sales and Service

 These complaints include issues relating to automotive purchases, service and repair, and    automobile rentals.  986
4. Home Services and Repair These complaints include issues relating to general contracting and remodeling, heating and cooling, and handyman services.  973
5. Imposter Scams In many cases, these scams relate directly to fraudulent telephone calls, emails, or text messages from scammers posing as a government official or employee from a reputable company, often seeking monetary payments through gift cards, wire transfers, and other money transmittal services. 808 
6. Consumer Loans and Credit Sales These complaints include issues under the Uniform Consumer Credit Code, including interest rates, and credit reporting. They also include unlicensed activity, including tribal lending.  655
7. Health Care and Medical Services  These complaints include issues relating to hospitals and urgent care, health and medical insurance carriers, and health practitioners relating to quality of care, medical billing, and coverage issues.  630
8. Debt Collection  These complaints include issues under the Colorado Fair Debt Collection Practices Act, including harassment or abuse by a debt collector, disputed debt, and phantom debt or unlicensed collection.  627
9. Telecommunications   These complaints include issues relating to cable/television, cellular/mobile phones, internet, and other bundled telecommunications services. 582 
10. Real Estate Sales & Services These complaints include issues about rental and leasing, property management, and real estate related activities.   520 

Consumer protection actions taken in 2023

In 2023, the attorney general announced several major actions to protect consumers through settlements and other agreements that required businesses to change their practices and put money back in people’s pockets, including:

  • A $1 million settlement with Wyatt’s towing to return money to consumers and end the company’s unfair, deceptive practices after an investigation found it illegally towed vehicles and deceived consumers about their rights.
  • Leading a lawsuit against social media giant Meta over harms they caused to children, and resolving a lawsuit against Google over how their abusive app store practices that resulted in a $700 million nationwide settlement.
  • A nationwide settlement with e-cigarette manufacturer Juul, under which Colorado would receive over $31 million for the company’s illegal marketing of nicotine products to youth.
  • More settlements with opioid manufacturers and companies associated with the opioid crisis added to the now more than $750 million secured for Colorado to battle the epidemic.
  • $130 million in debt relief from the U.S. Department of Education for Colorado student loan borrowers who attended CollegeAmerica and were harmed by the for-profit college’s deceptive marketing tactics.
  • A settlement with parking company PRRS that illegally charged and collected on fines for consumers who sometimes didn’t even park in their lots.
  • The Department of Law issued rules governing and began enforcement of the Colorado Privacy Act, a new data privacy law that went into effect in 2023.
  • Settlements with local credit unions and finance companies operating in Colorado, which netted millions for consumers after the lenders illegally withheld refunds for fees paid for guaranteed automobile protection, also known as GAP coverage.
  • A settlement reached with Walmart after an investigation found the company was overcharging consumers. Settlement funds were directed to provide millions in new granting opportunities for local food banks, food pantries, and diaper banks.
  • Settlements with Choice Hotels and Omni to make their fees more transparent for consumers looking to book at the chains’ hotels and resorts.

To date, Weiser has secured over $400 million in refunds, restitution, credits, and debt relief for Colorado consumers.

Consumers should report scams, fraud, and other complaints at StopFraudColorado.gov or by calling 800-222-4444.

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