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Violations of the state's "Do Not Call" telemarketing program topped the list of consumer complaints in 2006, state officials said Thursday.
A total of 4,782 written complaints, about 600 more than in 2005, were filed this year for violations of the state law, which bars telemarketers from calling consumers who add their names to the Florida "Do Not Call" list, according to the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services. The state's consumer services division manages the "Do Not Call" list, which is sent to telemarketers across the nation every three months.
Travel- and vacation-related complaints ranked second, drawing 3,814 filings tied to problems with hotel prices, quality of service or promised perks with travel packages. Complaints about motor vehicle repair shops placed third, with 2,078 filed. Other top 10 complaint categories: construction industry, 2,002 complaints; communications issues related to Internet, cell phone and telephone services, 1,941; credit and banking matters, 1,542; motor vehicle sales and accessories, 1,285; landlord and tenant disputes, 735; electronic equipment concerns, 692; and home furnishing problems, 689.
The consumer services division, the state's clearinghouse for consumer complaints, tracks and ranks complaints filed every year to alert consumers about trends.
"We provide consumers with this list so they'll know what to look for," said Liz Compton, a department spokesperson, "and will take steps to protect themselves."
Florida's "Do Not Call" program was introduced in 1993 to stop unwanted telemarketing calls. Under the law, consumers pay a fee -- about $10 initially with a $5 annual renewal -- to have their home telephone numbers placed on a block list to avoid unwanted sales calls. State officials said the fee is used to fund the administration of the program.
But there are exceptions to the law, including charities, political candidates and political parties, research or survey companies, and debt collection agencies.
This year, the division collected more than $125,800 in fines against telemarketers who made unwanted sales calls to people on the list.
"Consumers recognize that the department is aggressively pursuing violators of the 'Do Not Call' law and they are taking the time to let us know about these unwanted calls," Charles H. Bronson, Florida's commissioner of agriculture and consumer services, said in a statement. "Telemarketers who do not take the law seriously are finding that is a costly mistake."
The consumer services division regulates almost a dozen industries and has the power to take a variety of actions against those in violation of state law, including levying fines, revoking registrations or turning criminal cases over to other authorities.
But the state's division also works to mediate complaints for consumers.
In 2006, the division received 28,000 written complaints and was able to recover nearly $6.4 million in refunds and services for consumers.
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