COLUMBIA, S.C. - The South Carolina Department of Consumer Affairs (SCDCA) received 4,004 complaints from January 1, 2017 to December 31, 2017, resulting in a total of $2,399,100 in credits, refunds and adjustments going back to consumers.

In 2017, Credit and Debt complaints (710) headed the top three complaint categories, a departure from the past three years. Rounding out the top three are Vehicles (622) and Utilities (552). For a detailed breakdown of the specific complaint types that comprise these categories, see SCDCA's 2017 Complaint Trends Report.

Another notable departure from recent years is SCDCA's sizable increase in the amount of refunds, credits and adjustments gained for consumers. Though total complaint numbers remained similar over the past three years, SCDCA earned 93.45% more refunds, credits and adjustments for consumers in 2017 over 2016.

“We are excited to see the fruits of projects DCA started just a few years ago reflected in the 2017 data,”said DCA Administrator Carri Grube Lybarker. “DCA's award-winning online complaint system and internal restructuring efforts, coupled with staff dedication have produced a more streamlined and effective complaint process.”

SCDCA processes and mediates consumer complaints against businesses regulated by the DCA, refers complaints that fall within another agency's jurisdiction, and mediates those complaints against businesses that are unregulated. To see if a business has complaints against it, consumers should take advantage of the Search Complaints tool on SCDCA's website.

About SCDCA
The South Carolina Department of Consumer Affairs aims to protect consumers from inequities in the marketplace through advocacy, complaint mediation, enforcement and education. File a Complaint or call toll-free, 1-800-922-1594, to get information on consumer issues.