Resource guide: Web sites and telephone numbers
By JENNIFER BARRS of The Tampa Tribune Published Feb. 18, 1998 Whether it's poor workmanship or simply a scam, there's a proper way to complain if you get ripped off. TAMPA - Patricia Brown says she doesn't lie - and so she doesn't expect to be lied to. Sadly, the unfinished addition to her house speaks for itself. An unlicensed building contractor got almost $10,000 out of Brown before he walked off the job in August, and now building inspectors have issued the Tampa contractor six different citations, ranging from permit violations to false advertising. But that may not put Brown's house in order. Nor will it satisfy the consumers who feel cheated every day in the Bay area. Tonight, WFLA, Channel 8, will begin a two-part series on common consumer complaints and what individuals can do about them. A survey of consumer reporters at area television stations - and consumer watchdogs in city and county agencies - reveals that the rip-offs remain the same. Used-car catastrophes. Automobile repair routs. Home building boondoggles. Those are the biggies. And lately, you can add sweepstakes scams to the list. The Hillsborough County Consumer Protection office got 7,251 calls, letters and walk-in queries from October 1996 to October 1997 and investigated 411 complaints. In 1997, the Pinellas County Department of Consumer Protection had 2,244 written complaints submitted for investigation. ``We no longer live in a village atmosphere in America ... a business can rip someone off today and have 30 new customers tomorrow,'' says Steve Overton, consumer reporter and weekend anchor at Channel 8. Most automobile complaints fall into two categories: used cars that don't perform up to the customer's expectations and broken- down cars that aren't repaired to the customer's satisfaction. The law requires the seller of a used car to state if the vehicle comes with a warranty or if it's being sold ``as is.'' Most are sold `as is.'' Yet even with a warranty, sellers can severely limit how long they are responsible for repairs, and what few parts they are willing to replace. Consumers who buy these cars often have little recourse, just a lot of ``buyers' remorse,'' says Deborah Berry, an investigator with the Pinellas County Department of Consumer Protection. Poor workmanship is at the heart of many consumer disputes, including failed car repairs and shoddy home maintenance. While Overton generally recommends getting a second opinion from a second mechanic when car repairs are the problem, shoddy home repairs can be more complex. That's because building permit and licensing requirements often mean the difference between jobs an amateur handyman can do and a professional contractor should do. In either case, it pays to do your homework. John Barrios, manager of Tampa's Inspectional Services Division, always recommends checking out a building contractors' license before you get any major work done on your home. He also says consumers should be wary of so-called seasonal workers who roam neighborhoods offering to do a driveway here, a roof there, a pool around the corner. What other problems plague consumers? Landlord and tenant issues (the heat doesn't work, the roof leaks); something-for-nothing scams (vacation certificates); sweepstakes offerings; and risky, at-home business ventures. Those risky business ventures could be getting riskier. Agencies report that at-home schemes and marketing frauds seem to be increasing - courtesy of the Internet. Also on the horizon: an oddball plan Harold Delk of the Hillsborough County Consumer Protection office calls the ``smell of the leather'' deal. Here, car buyers turn in a trade-in, make a down payment and arrange financing at a new or used car lot, only to be told a few weeks later that the financing did not go through. Dealers then demand more money to keep the buyer in the car they're already in - or no deal, period. ``Frankly, if you don't do the research on any purchase, you run a risk,'' says Delk. This research should include a call to the Better Business Bureau. The Clearwater office, which serves six West Florida counties, gets up to 80,000 inquiries a year. The bureau doesn't reveal the number of complaints lodged, but consumers can learn if a business resolved complaints in a ''satisfactory'' or ``unsatisfactory'' manner. When it does mediate disagreements, president Pat White says, the ''peer pressure'' it exerts can be highly effective. Mediation can mean making a telephone call, sending a letter or simply scheduling a meeting between the parties involved. But it is a primary function of all these consumer outlets. The city and county agencies typically require consumers to detail their problem in writing and to collect all paperwork relevant to the complaint. Only then will the agencies consider helping a consumer - and that doesn't necessarily mean legal action is warranted or advised. The television reporters, meanwhile, seem to function more as educators than do-it-all problem solvers. While on-air investigations have prompted everything from auto recalls to business closings, reporters do not turn every complaint into a story. Eric Seidel, the consumer lawyer for WTVT, Channel 13, says people can solve many consumer problems on their own, simply by keeping a cool, professional head and organizing their thoughts on paper. Ultimately, more and more consumers are willing to fight for themselves. ``The worst thing you can do is NOT complain,'' says Greg Hunter, an investigative reporter for WTSP, Channel 10. ``From government waste to defective construction ... keeping your mouth shut is not the answer.''
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