The Tennessee Attorney General’s Office Division of Consumer Affairs (DCA) recently announced the Top Ten complaint categories for 2022. The DCA received a total of 8,088 complaints throughout last year.
The Top Ten Complaint Categories in 2022, according to the DCA, were:
- Home Improvements/Repair & Home Warranties: 831 complaints (Same ranking as 2021)
- Landlord/Tenant: 723 complaints (Same ranking as 2021)
- Health Services & Products: 481 complaints (Same ranking as 2021)
- Debtor/Creditor: 467 complaints (Up from #6 in 2021)
- Personal & Professional Services: 463 complaints (Down from #4 in 2021)
- Internet Sales: 410 complaints (Up from #7 in 2021)
- Motor Vehicle – Used Sales & Advertising: 378 complaints (Down from #5 in 2021)
- Motor Vehicle – Repairs & Warranties: 376 complaints (Same ranking as 2021)
- Utilities – Gas/Water/Sewer/Electricity: 353 complaints (Up from #22 in 2021)
- Imposter Scams: 282 complaints (Same ranking as 2021)
The category that saw the most drastic change compared to 2021 data was complaints related to utilities, which include residential gas service, water service, sewer, and electricity. This category rose to ninth place with 353 total complaints filed in 2022 compared to its 22nd standing in 2021.
The rise in complaints in the utilities category, according to the DCA, were due to “the large number of complaints received against solar companies, including Pink Energy and Solar Titan USA.”
In fact, last year, Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti joined a coalition of eight attorneys general in sending a letter to five solar lending companies demanding they suspend loan payments and interest accrual for some Pink Energy customers. Many Tennessee customers filed complaints against the company in regards to “functionality and installation issues” of the company’s solar power systems, Skrmetti’s office reported at the time. On October 7th, the company abruptly closed operations and filed for bankruptcy, as previously reported by The Tennessee Star.
Aside from the uptick in complaints in the utilities category, many of the most popular complaint categories received a similar ranking as in 2021.
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Kaitlin Housler is a reporter at The Tennessee Star and The Star News Network.
Photo “Woman Paying Bills” by Karolina Grabowska.
