Complaints to BBB Up Nearly 10 percent in 2009

(I-Newswire) March 8, 2010 - Better Business Bureau serving Eastern North Carolina released an annual report today showing consumer complaints to the organization increased by 9.7 percent in 2009.

“Amidst the housing crisis and high unemployment rate the last year has not been easy on consumers. The increase in complaints to BBB reflects this troubled economy,” said Beverly Baskin, President & CEO of BBB serving Eastern North Carolina. “Now more than ever, families should rely on BBB to find businesses they can trust and to help their voice be heard in the marketplace.”

Nationwide, 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 nationally, banks received 29,920 complaints, a 42.3 percent increase over the previous year.

Locally, these industries saw a similar trend of a high number of complaints and were a part of the top 20 with the most complaints in Eastern North Carolina. BBB serving Eastern North Carolina processed a total of 4,244 inquiries and 393 complaints on the cell phone, cable & satellite TV, and banks combined.

While the national industries of cell phone, cable & satellite TV and banks received a high volume of complaints, two of the three industries saw improvements in their national 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.

In Eastern North Carolina, these industries continue to have a high resolution rate locally. The cable & satellite TV industry resolved100 percent of local complaints and banks resolved 98.39 percent. Cell phone companies locally had a slightly lower resolution rate in Eastern North Carolina than nationally, resolving 96.6 percent of complaints.

Not only did BBB receive nearly 1 million complaints filed by disgruntled customers last year, consumers turned to the non-profit more than 65 million times for help researching businesses across North America. BBB Reliability Reports are available online for free and contain information on a business’ accreditation status, letter-grade rating and complaint history. The nearly 4 million BBB Reliability Reports® on businesses across North America were viewed more than 65 million times in 2009. The most frequently researched industries 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.

About Better Business Bureau serving Eastern North Carolina:
The Better Business Bureau serving Eastern North Carolina is a 501 (c)(6) not-for-profit corporation serving 33 counties in Eastern North Carolina. The organization is funded primarily by membership dues from more than 2,900 local businesses and professional firms. The BBB promotes integrity, consumer confidence and business ethics through business self-regulation in the local marketplace. Services provided by the BBB include, reports on companies and charitable organizations, general monitoring of advertising in the marketplace, dispute resolution services, and consumer/business education programs. All services are provided at no cost to the public, with the occasional exception of mediation and arbitration. Visit bbb.org.

Company Contact Information
Better Business Bureau serving Eastern North Carolina
Courtney Smith
5540 Munford Rd., Ste 130
27612
Phone : 919-277-4220