Question of the day
Tuesday, Mar 7, 2017 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Sun-Times…
The annual consumer complaints report released Monday by Attorney General Lisa Madigan confirmed a trend among some Illinois consumers who still do not know how to protect themselves from consumer debt and identity-theft crimes.
With 2,783 complaints out of the nearly 24,000 received in 2016, consumer debt complaints including mortgages, collection agencies and banks took the first spot of the list; that group of complaints has remained on top since 2008.
Identity theft occupied the second place for the ninth consecutive year, with 2,391 complaints.
Education-related complaints occupy spot number six — one higher than last year — with 1,691 complaints.
* The full top ten list with the number of complaints…
1. Consumer Debt (mortgages, collection agencies, banks) - 2,783
2. Identity Theft (government document fraud, credit cards, utilities, data breaches) - 2,391
3. Promotions/Schemes (phone scams, investment schemes, lottery scams, phishing) - 2,387
4. Construction/Home Improvement (remodeling, roofs and gutters, heating and cooling, plumbing) - 2,094
5. Telecommunications (telemarketing, cable and satellite TV, phone service and repairs, cell phones) - 1,851
6. Education (for-profit schools, student loan debt, loan counseling) - 1,691
7. Used Auto Sales/Motor Vehicles (as-is used cars, financing, warranties) - 1,648
8. Internet/Mail Order Products (Internet and catalog purchases, TV and radio advertising) - 955
9. Motor Vehicle/Non-Warranty Repair (collision, engines, oil changes and tune-ups) - 677
10. New Auto Sales/Motor Vehicles (financing, defects, advertising) - 668
* The Question: What’s your biggest complaint these days?
Snark is, of course, heavily encouraged.
- Stir - Tuesday, Mar 7, 17 @ 1:41 pm:
TV prices, they say they keep dropping prices but in reality they’re just upping the fees and dropping prices for your packages so you’re not saving any money. Comcast is a prime example of which who have just recently raised “Regional Sports Fee”, “Broadcasting Fee” and furthermore charge customers 10$ for HD channels.
- MSIX - Tuesday, Mar 7, 17 @ 1:46 pm:
State Employee health insurance…
I keep paying my premiums, but the doctor/dentist is getting paid. /s (sort of)
- Earnest - Tuesday, Mar 7, 17 @ 1:47 pm:
Citizen debt. My state government keeps setting me up to pay higher and higher taxes in the future instead of paying as we go along.
- 47th Ward - Tuesday, Mar 7, 17 @ 1:49 pm:
My biggest complaint? I’m not tall enough for my weight.
- Blago's Hare - Tuesday, Mar 7, 17 @ 1:49 pm:
Freestyle Coke machines. I want a Coke that tastes like Coke. Sure, my kids love a grape-vanilla-mango-Sprite, but I don’t. I just want a Coke. Not a Coke with a hint of cherry or orange. Just a plain fountain Coke, please and thank you.
- Today - Tuesday, Mar 7, 17 @ 1:50 pm:
Defective governors.
- MSIX - Tuesday, Mar 7, 17 @ 1:52 pm:
Oy…”isn’t getting paid.”
- Red Rider - Tuesday, Mar 7, 17 @ 1:54 pm:
No interest loans, if so I want to borrow one million to invest
- Texas Red - Tuesday, Mar 7, 17 @ 1:54 pm:
ATM’s that insist I select English before a transaction.
- wordslinger - Tuesday, Mar 7, 17 @ 1:55 pm:
Snake oil salesmen who claim that wrecking the social service infrastructure and bleeding higher ed is not the actual objectives of their actions.
- Oswego Willy - Tuesday, Mar 7, 17 @ 2:01 pm:
- 47th Ward -
Best “Cheers” Open…
How ya doin’ Norm,
My ideal weight if I was 11 feet tall.
Great line.
To the Post,
===What’s your biggest complaint these days?===
First and foremost, not enough cow bell. We need more cow bell.
Horrible sequels to Classic movies; Caddyshack is the tarnished gold standard.
All those things, they really get my chili running hot, but the topper?
The demise of the Friday news dump.
Where are the days of the Friday news dump, the trash being left out on Friday at 4, the bad news, the news that just won’t carry until Monday.
With Twitter and Thr Facebook, Instagram and the Snapping Chatter, it’s 24/7/365.
We need that day, that time, that dumping ground to say, “Yeah, we’re saying this, so good luck running with it”
I want my Friday news dump back, like days of old just months ago…
- Henry Francis - Tuesday, Mar 7, 17 @ 2:08 pm:
“Structural reforms”
- Ron Burgundy - Tuesday, Mar 7, 17 @ 2:11 pm:
Telemarketing/phone scams seems like a totally out of control wasteland that no state or federal authority is equipped to deal with, especially since a lot of the culprits are overseas.
Biggest complaint personally? The mediocrity of Illinois basketball.
- Keyser Soze - Tuesday, Mar 7, 17 @ 2:13 pm:
I would like a slow news day or two. Haven’t relaxed in months.
- DuPage Saint - Tuesday, Mar 7, 17 @ 2:17 pm:
I used to enjoy a little T&A now I can no longer stand the letters
- Chicago Cynic - Tuesday, Mar 7, 17 @ 2:21 pm:
Crazy people. Once upon a time they were easy to mock. Now they run the world. Results in way too much news anxiety.
- AC - Tuesday, Mar 7, 17 @ 2:24 pm:
They removed Squeezy the Pension Python from the state like Trotsky from an old photograph.
The weather is supposed to become cold this weekend, AG Madigan needs to stand up to Speaker Madigan on this issue, since he controls the weather.
Structural reform being advocated without any analysis being done by civil engineers at IDOT. Can our roads and bridges be reformed, or cut, in the same way they attempted to reform pensions?
- Honeybear - Tuesday, Mar 7, 17 @ 2:24 pm:
Email harassment by JT at work!
- frisbee - Tuesday, Mar 7, 17 @ 2:26 pm:
Comcast customer service, the worst.
- Because I Said So.... - Tuesday, Mar 7, 17 @ 2:26 pm:
@OW, sorry to disagree but best opening of Cherrs was, “Norm, what’s shakin?” Norms response, ” all four cheeks and a couple of chins.”
- PublicServant - Tuesday, Mar 7, 17 @ 2:28 pm:
Life is hard, then you die.
But on the bright side, I like baloney, and Rainer is full of it.
- Vote Quimby! - Tuesday, Mar 7, 17 @ 2:29 pm:
Campaign fraud. Buying a bill of goods which never lived up to its sales pitch.
- AC - Tuesday, Mar 7, 17 @ 2:32 pm:
Theft of the letter g from the end of Governor Rauner’s words, it upsets him so much that he usually forgets his tie too when that happens.
- jw - Tuesday, Mar 7, 17 @ 2:34 pm:
the big story would be the end of telemarketers once and for all most of them need to be deported yesterday not today Donald are you listening,
- AC - Tuesday, Mar 7, 17 @ 2:36 pm:
Dad’s Home State is missing from HBO Go, because of that I want a refund!
- Emily Miller - Tuesday, Mar 7, 17 @ 2:37 pm:
My biggest complaint is that I’m just so frustrated that we don’t have a budget. At least it’s worth it– I really get the sense that we’re winning here in Illinois.
- anonymous retiree - Tuesday, Mar 7, 17 @ 2:39 pm:
Susana Madigandoza
- Annonin' - Tuesday, Mar 7, 17 @ 2:42 pm:
State fake news bankrolled dark money billionaires
- Oswego Willy - Tuesday, Mar 7, 17 @ 2:43 pm:
- Because I Said So… -
There’s a bar game where you need to say a Norm “Cheers” open or “consume”
Yours is usually gone before the table behind the second round. Quality open.
“What’s your biggest complaint these days?”
B1G having 14 schools
Big XII having 10 schools
Missouri in the SEC
Rutgers in the B1G
Syracuse in the ACC, Maryland not in the ACC
Utah and Colorado in the Pac12
In short, the NCAA conferences, and it messing with my Bracketology logic
- Oswego Willy - Tuesday, Mar 7, 17 @ 2:47 pm:
- AC -
HBO is really trying to be selective, even with the airing. Just last week a rerun from Season 2 aired at 3:30 am for the European day market.
We’re working on the problem.
“Look for us on Facebook, Twitter, Snapchat, and Instagram!”
“What’s your biggest complaint these days?”
Yuengling being sold as a draft, no packaged goods yet in Indiana until April.
C’mon Yuengling!
- DuPage - Tuesday, Mar 7, 17 @ 2:51 pm:
Being in a state with no functioning government.
- downstate commissioner - Tuesday, Mar 7, 17 @ 2:55 pm:
Robocalls, especially the ones that don’t detect the answering machine and go on and on….
Or telephone answering machines that give you choices, none of which are what you want or need…
Telephone calls from people who won’t leave a message, or even worse, the ones that just say “call me.”
- titan - Tuesday, Mar 7, 17 @ 3:02 pm:
Lack of term limits
- Chicago_Downstater - Tuesday, Mar 7, 17 @ 3:11 pm:
That SNL hasn’t gotten around to parodying the Illinois Budget Crisis. I wonder who would play Rauner.
- JS Mill - Tuesday, Mar 7, 17 @ 3:12 pm:
Nobody took Ralph Martire seriously back in 2004.
- @MisterJayEm - Tuesday, Mar 7, 17 @ 3:15 pm:
“What’s your biggest complaint these days?”
Every year or two, somebody publishes an article claiming Zubaz are back!!
But it’s never more than a beautiful, beautiful lie.
– MrJM
- blue dog dem - Tuesday, Mar 7, 17 @ 3:21 pm:
Republicans and Democrats.
- AC - Tuesday, Mar 7, 17 @ 3:30 pm:
“I wonder who would play Rauner”
John Lithgow would be perfect!
- DeliaC - Tuesday, Mar 7, 17 @ 4:00 pm:
The Darwinian fortitude of mediocrity.
- A guy - Tuesday, Mar 7, 17 @ 4:12 pm:
The futures market on Sugary Drinks. Can’t sleep at night. Though that might be the sugary drinks. I don’t know.
- Mama - Tuesday, Mar 7, 17 @ 4:13 pm:
#5 is my biggest pet peeve.
- A guy - Tuesday, Mar 7, 17 @ 4:29 pm:
Kids on my lawn.
- Jake From Elwood - Tuesday, Mar 7, 17 @ 4:51 pm:
Problem: They don’t sell Spotted Cow in Illinois.
I feel like a smuggler when I purchase several cases to haul over the Wisconsin-Illinois state line.
First World Problem Indeed.
- 47th Ward - Tuesday, Mar 7, 17 @ 5:01 pm:
===They don’t sell Spotted Cow in Illinois.===
Hmm. They don’t sell Kerry Gold butter in Wisconsin. I think we can find a way to make this a win-win Jake.
- Yeah - Tuesday, Mar 7, 17 @ 5:10 pm:
We cannot deduct both the income and sales tax we pay to illinois…pick one. However Exxon gets a sweet 15 percent depletion allowance deduction. Federal income taxes are an unfair scam.
- sleepy - Tuesday, Mar 7, 17 @ 5:50 pm:
“buy local” sticker on the back of a Prius…
Dems who constantly talk about how much they support unions while they drive a car from one of the asian car makers… (because none of their factories are union)
People who complain about a low minimum wage and lack of local jobs and then buy chinese made crap online…
- Arthur Andersen - Tuesday, Mar 7, 17 @ 5:50 pm:
Comcast again, for not being able to control the volume on their vaunted X1 product within 10-20 decibels. I have two X1 boxes connected to substantial AV systems and the change from a quiet movie scene to THIS IS IT FURNITURE, for example, is jarring.
- Arthur Andersen - Tuesday, Mar 7, 17 @ 5:52 pm:
Well, and AA hasn’t been able to find a decent pair of all-occasion comfortable shoes since Crocs went outta style.
- Living it daily - Tuesday, Mar 7, 17 @ 8:04 pm:
” who would play Rauner,”
Chevy Chase is my pick
- swIFT taylor - Wednesday, Mar 8, 17 @ 12:32 am:
could the AG or Comptroller ask a judge to order the governor and legislature to produce and sign a balanced budget by a certain date or hold them all in contempt of court? imagine Rauner, Madigan, Cullerton and Radogno, (Kramer, Jerry, George and Elaine) in a jail cell being held in contempt of court. What a finale to a 2 plus year excrement show.