Attorney General Lisa Madigan released her annual top ten list of consumer complaints. (From a press release)

For the fourth year in a row, telecommunication complaints involving wireless phone service, Internet service, Internet auctions and other related problems topped the list of Illinoisans’ consumer gripes, logging 3,538 complaints, or 15 percent, of the state’s 24,050 consumer complaints. Credit issues ranked second on the list with 3,325 complaints, or 14 percent, and home improvement issues ranked third with 2,895 complaints, or 12 percent of all complaints lodged with Madigan’s office in 2004.

The Top 10 consumer complaints of 2004 are as follows (figures do not reflect all complaints):

CATEGORY # OF COMPLAINTS

1. Telecommunications 3,538

2. Credit 3,325

3. Construction: Home Improvement 2,895

4. Promotions and Schemes 2,411

5. Motor Vehicle: Used Auto Sales 1,324

6. Mail Order: Catalog 1,158

7. Business and Professional Services 1,019

(alleged fraudulent business consulting,

fraudulent financial planning, invoice

scams, among other complaints).

8. Financial Services 900

9. Motor Vehicle: Non-Warranty Repair 834

10. Motor Vehicle: New Auto Sales 703