ALBANY, N.Y. (NEWS10) — Attorney General Letitia James has released a list of the top 10 consumer complaints received by the Office of the Attorney General in 2022. Complaints range from price gouging of baby formula and kids’ medicine to flight cancellations and increased gas prices.
“My office receives thousands of consumer complaints every year, and we take each one seriously to stop fraudsters from hurting New Yorkers,” said Attorney General James. “From predatory debt collection to price gouging, scammers tried to take advantage of consumers for personal gain, and we took appropriate action to stop it. As always, I urge New Yorkers to stay vigilant and to keep my office informed about potential scams, price gouging, or violations of consumer protection laws.”
| Category | Description | # of Complaints |
| 1. Retail Sales | Price gouging, retail sales, online purchases, defective merchandise, poor customer service, pet stores, animal breeders | 5,240 |
| 2. Landlord/Tenant | Security deposit releases, evictions, tenant harassment | 3,014 |
| 3. Credit, Banking, Mortgages | Debt collection, credit card billing, debt settlement, payday loans, credit repair, credit reporting agencies, identity theft, banking, loan modification scams, mortgage lending and servicing | 2,834 |
| 4. Consumer Services | COVID-19 testing facilities, alarm companies, dry cleaners, restaurants, movers, storage facilities, services for personal household use | 2,730 |
| 5. Automobile | Sales, service, financing, repairs, | 2,590 |
| 6. Internet | Internet services and service providers, data privacy and security, digital media, frauds through internet manipulation | 2,355 |
| 7. Utilities | Wireless and residential phones, energy servicers and suppliers, cable, and satellite | 1,896 |
| 8. Home Repair/Improvement | Repair issues, deceitful contractors, solar panel installations | 1,264 |
| 9. Travel | Airline customer service, flight cancellations and refunds | 787 |
| 10. Gasoline Prices | Price gouging, excessive pricing, credit card surcharges | 661 |
Specifically in terms of utilities, earlier this year, the New York State Department of Consumer Protection announced that it had received a significantly increased number of complaints regarding NYSEG and RG&E and their customer service and billing practices. The state held several public forums, inviting the community to explain problems they’ve had with the companies.
