Monmouth County

• Auto Sales & Repair - Both new & used. Read your contract when leasing or purchasing a vehicle and ask questions. If it isn’t in writing, you will have a difficult time proving your case. Remember, if the contract states "As is” that is exactly what it means.
• Home Improvement Repairs and Contractors - Always on the list, “HIC’s” cover the gambit from poor workmanship to not finishing jobs, not being licensed or insured, time delays, etc. It is vital that consumers do their homework and research HIC’s before hiring “the cheapest quote”.
• Retail Purchase Issues - From false advertising to defective merchandise, problems with returns, gift cards or rebates, retailers make the list annually.
• Consumer Debt & Credit - Billing and fees, credit repair and debt relief, illegal or abusive debt collection and predatory lending are typical complaints.
• Frauds and Scams – Gift Cards, Social Security and IRS Imposter Scams, Romance and Grandparent scams among current concerns
• Landlord Tenant - Issues between landlords and tenants are also among the top consumer complaints. However, these issues are not typically under the purview of Consumer Affairs.
• Professional Services – Common complaints include incomplete services, missed deadlines, and unlicensed or underqualified professionals delivering substandard work.
• Healthcare/Wellness – Medical billing and poor communication to resolve issues, gym memberships
• Utilities - Gas, water; electric and cable companies are often cited for poor customer service. With many working from home, internet issues have become a top grievance.
• Towing – Inadequate or no signage and predatory towing 

The cases seen by the Monmouth County Division of Consumer Affairs mimic the national statistics, with auto dealers and home improvement contractors yielding the largest number of consumer complaints, followed by retail sales. With the quarantining due to Covid-19 restrictions, internet sales replaced a large volume of local retail sales. Unlike local retail issues, online sales issues are extremely difficult to remedy.

Avoiding scams before they happen is much easier than trying to fix problems afterwards. Consumers need to protect themselves by slowing down and examining offers with a little more diligence. If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is. A few tips:

• When dealing with Home Improvement Contractors, look to see if they’re registered with the state as required. They should also have liability insurance and supply the consumer with a detailed contract for any jobs over $500. A detailed contract protects both the consumer and business by clearing stating what is to be expected, including an estimated time of completion. Checking references and online ratings is another easy tool to get some background information on companies. The cheapest isn’t always the best – do your homework.
• Auto dealers generate complaints related to both sales and service. Read your contract when leasing or purchasing a vehicle and ask questions. If it isn’t in writing, you will have a difficult time proving your case. Whether it’s sales or service, it’s always good to do online research and check reviews. Both new and used cars are protected under the NJ State Lemon Law.
• Online purchasing is the world of “Buyer Beware”. The scams are infinite, and problems are difficult or impossible to resolve when vendors are fictitious, out of state or out of the country. Again, checking vendor ratings and doing your research before providing credit card information is vitally important. Sometimes, not only is the product fictitious, the entire purpose of the offer was to get your credit card information for fraudulent charges. Be sure to monitor your credit card bills regularly.
• Phone scams are a daily annoyance. Seniors tend to be highly targeted by callers using scare tactics. Common scams include callers pretending to be the IRS or Social Security Agencies, grandchildren in distress or technical support. All of these callers use high pressure in an attempt to get money and personal information from victims. Real government agencies do not call you demanding money. EVER. The solution to these calls is simple: HANG UP.