Debt Collection Tops 2007 Consumer Complaints List

Complaints against debt collectors topped a national list of consumer complaints for 2007, the National Association of Attorneys General (NAAG) said Tuesday.

The NAAG said that debt collection complaints moved up one spot from the 2006 list to take the lead. Auto sales, home repair, telecommunications, and general automotive complaints rounded out the top five on the list.

The list was compiled by the NAAG based on an informal nationwide survey conducted by the group. The NAAG was formed in 1907 to “serves as a key resource to assist Attorneys General and their staffs to respond effectively to emerging state and federal legal issues,” according to the group.

In March, the Federal Trade Commission also said that complaints against debt collectors topped its list for last year. In 2007, the FTC noted that it received 70,951 complaints against collection agencies and accounts receivable management firms, up from 69,249 in 2006.

Complaints against collectors amounted to 20.8 percent of all complaints received by the FTC.