Posted Tuesday, March 9, 2010 --- 1:21 p.m.

Release from the Wisconsin BBB:

National Complaints to Better Business Bureau Up Nearly 10 percent in 2009
Complaints against Wisconsin companies actually on decline

Milwaukee, Wis. -- March 9, 2010 – According to an annual report released today by the Better Business Bureau (BBB), consumer complaints nationwide to the organization increased by 9.7 percent in 2009. However, complaints against Wisconsin companies have actually decreased by nearly 8 percent.

In 2009, the Wisconsin BBB processed 15,027 complaints, which was a 7.7 percent decrease from 2008. New car dealers were the top complaint category, receiving 439 complaints in 2009, roughly the same number it received in 2008. Mail order and catalog shopping services were number two with 435 complaints, although it was a significant improvement from its 2008 mark of 589 complaints. Rounding out the Top Three are complaints against department stores, which totaled 353 (a 19 percent drop from 2008).

“Although complaints received by BBB offices throughout North America are on the rise, Wisconsin companies are fairing much better,” said Hoth. “Generally, consumer satisfaction with Wisconsin companies has significantly improved, especially when compared to companies outside of Wisconsin.”

Nationally, the cell phone industry received the largest number of complaints in 2009 with 37,477, a 2.1 percent increase over last year. The cable & satellite TV industry ranked second with 32,616 complaints, an 8.7 percent increase over the previous year. Rounding out the top three, banks received 29,920 complaints, a 42.3 percent increase over the previous year.

While the cell phone industry, cable & satellite TV industry and banks received a high volume of complaints nationally, two of the three industries saw improvements in their resolution rates over the previous year. Cell phone companies resolved 97.4 percent of complaints; the cable & satellite TV industry resolved 97.2 percent. The resolution rate by banks declined slightly to 95.2 percent.

The report also reveals that BBB Reliability Reports—which are available online for free and contain information on a business’s accreditation status, letter-grade rating and complaint history—are increasingly popular as a free tool for consumers to research the trustworthiness of businesses. The nearly 4 million BBB Reliability Reports® on businesses across North America were viewed more than 65 million times in 2009. The most popular industries researched through BBB were roofing contractors, general contractors and mortgage brokers.

For a complete industry breakdown of all complaints filed with the BBB in 2009, and previous years, go to www.bbb.org/us/statistics. To learn more about BBB dispute resolution services and BBB Reliability Reports®, contact the Wisconsin BBB at 414-847-6000 (metro Milwaukee), 920-734-4352 (Northeast Wisconsin) or 800-273-1002 (elsewhere in Wisconsin).