BETTER Business Bureau serving Mainland BC (BBB) saw almost 30% increase in the number of consumer complaints and inquiries received in 2020.
Health and safety concerns, significant lifestyle adjustments like cancelling all travel plans and working from home, as well as the challenges businesses faced with staying open, keeping staff employed, operating safely and meeting consumer demand, all impacted the issues and interests of BC’s marketplace.
Last year, the local BBB closed over 5,800 complaints, with electronic equipment dealers taking the top spot ahead of parking facilities and credit repair services (which was number 1 in 2019). However, for consumer inquiries, plumbers, roofing and general contractors held the top spots.
“The numbers show us a vivid picture of how British Columbians were particularly impacted by the pandemic, when compared to the rest of Canada”, said Karla Laird, Manager for Community and Public Relations at BBB. “Our analysis found that most local complaints about businesses were directly connected to issues ultimately stemming from the pandemic. This included concerns like lengthy service times, delayed deliveries, poor customer service and communication, as well as issues processing refunds.
“At the same time, with most of the consumer inquiries falling under home improvement, it is clear that there was a growing interest in projects focused on developing the space where they would be spending more time working, studying and enjoying leisure activities.”
Here are the top 10 complaints and inquiries by industry in BC for 2020:
| Top 10 Complaints in BC for 2020 Electronic Equipment Dealers – 359 Parking Facilities – 310 Credit Repair Services – 233 Online Retailers – 159 Telephones – 152 Clothing – 148 Collections Agencies – 131 New Car Dealers – 115 Fitness Centers – 105 Auto Financing – 70 Dating Services – 67 Top 10 Inquiries in BC for 2020 Plumbers – 70,498 Roofing Contractors – 63,756 General Contractors – 54,700 Moving Companies – 48,552 Loans – 46,475 Home Improvement – 42,361 Home Builders – 35,723 Landscape Contractors – 30,134 Electrician – 29,715 Collections Agencies – 28,619 With almost 5 million consumers visiting BBB.org to find trustworthy businesses and service providers within the province, interestingly, the individual businesses that received the most inquiries were Fresh Start Finance (26,794), Cactus Credit (18,400) and Spring Financial Inc. (17,146) – all dealing with personal finances. Here are the top 10 complaints and inquiries by industry across Canada for 2020: Top 10 Complaints across Canada for 2020 Online Retailers Telecommunications Online Travel Agency Department Stores Collections Agencies Travel Agency Delivery Service Furniture Stores New Car Dealers Retail Florists Top 10 Inquiries across Canada for 2020 Roofing Contractors General Contractors Collections Agencies Plumbers Moving Companies Home Builders Landscape Contractors Used Car Dealers Heating and Air Conditioning Home Improvement |
