Car sales and repairs, telecom, imposter scams again top Oregon DOJ consumer complaint list for 2022 – KTVZ

Towing added as new class; pupil mortgage servicer Navient, opioid settlements high funds acquired

SALEM, Ore. (KTVZ) — To kick off Nationwide Client Safety Week (March 5-11), Lawyer Basic Ellen Rosenblum launched Tuesday the Oregon Division of Justice’s record of 2022’s high ten client complaints.

For the third yr in a row, auto gross sales and repairs, telecommunications and imposter scams took the highest three spots.

2022 High Ten Client Grievance Listing:

1. Auto Gross sales and Repairs (1,050 complaints)
2. Telecommunications (778 complaints)
3. Imposter Scams/Fraudulent Entity (697 complaints)
4. Monetary, Credit score and Lending (554 complaints)
5. Well being and Medical (475 complaints)
6. Journey Companies and Merchandise (191 complaints)
7. Towing (190 complaints)
8. Building Contractors (187 complaints)
9. Grocery, Meals and Beverage (184 complaints)
10. Actual Property (178 complaints)

This yr contains — for the primary time — a brand new class: Towing.

In 2017, the Oregon Legislature handed towing reforms that prohibit towing automobiles from parking amenities (with restricted exceptions like blocking an emergency car) until the towing firm acquired signed authorization to tow the particular car from the proprietor of the parking facility or the proprietor’s agent.

Earlier this yr, the Oregon Division of Justice Client Safety Part filed a lawsuit towards one of many largest towing operators in Oregon, Retriever Towing. The lawsuit alleges the corporate illegally towed automobiles from parking amenities with out signed authorization from the proprietor of the parking facility.

“We hope this lawsuit will ship a message to all towing corporations across the state that they’ll be held accountable for violating the regulation,” mentioned Lawyer Basic Rosenblum. “Particularly when it snows, — because it lately did — tow vehicles are out in drive as a result of variety of deserted automobiles. In case your automobile was towed throughout this time and you are feeling you have been overcharged or in any other case unfairly handled, please name our client hotline at 1-877-877-9392 for assist.”

Right here’s a fast replace on Oregon’s outstanding client safety work in 2022:

• $1.85 billion nationwide settlement with one of many nation’s largest pupil mortgage servicers, Navient. In Oregon, meaning 5,488 federal mortgage debtors acquired $1,462,937 in restitution and 864 debtors acquired $22,454,017 in personal mortgage debt cancellation.
• $701.5 million for Oregon to fund opioid abatement and restoration from eight settlements with opioid producers, distributors, and pharmacies.
• $391.5 million nationwide settlement – led partially by Oregon – with Google over its location monitoring practices. The settlement is the most important lawyer general-led client privateness settlement ever.
• $2.1 million from TurboTax (Intuit Inc.) to Oregon shoppers who have been deceived into paying for tax providers that ought to have been free.
• $805,799.88 returned to Oregon shoppers who filed complaints with the DOJ Client Safety Part.
• $309,234 in knowledge breach settlements to Oregon with Avalon, Carnival Cruise, T-Cellular and Experian.
• 10,032 telephone calls to the DOJ Client Safety Hotline.
• 7,791 written client complaints acquired.

As well as, DOJ travels the state to show Oregonians how one can keep protected from fraud and scams. Go to our web site at no cost sources on-line at: https://www.doj.state.or.us/consumer-protection/sales-scams-fraud/more-scams-fraud-resources/

In the event you really feel you will have fallen sufferer to a fraud or rip-off, contact the Oregon Division of Justice on-line at www.oregonconsumer.gov or name our Client Grievance Hotline at 1-877-877-9392.