Office of Program Policy Analysis and Government Accountability
Office of Program Policy Analysis and Government Accountability

Further Actions Need to Be Taken to Improve the State's Consumer Complaint System

Report 08-33, May 2008




Report Summary

State agencies have taken actions to implement our recommendations for improving state consumer complaint processing, but more steps should be taken. The Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services and the Office of the Attorney General have reduced the potential for duplication of services by clarifying their respective roles in handling price-gouging complaints. However, responsibility for eligibility screening of Lemon Law complaints remains divided between these two agencies. In addition, the Office of the Attorney General has not adopted our recommendation to refer consumer intake information it receives to the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services clearinghouse, which can result in consumers needing to provide information about a single incident to two state agencies. We continue to believe that a legislatively created interagency consumer roundtable would help coordinate agency consumer protection activities and that statewide information about consumer complaint activities and costs should be reported to the Legislature.


Related Reports
  1. No Title
    Report 06-51
  2. The PSC Has Enhanced Its Consumer Services and Participation in Florida's Lifeline Program Has Substantially Increased
    Report 10-50 July 2010
  3. The PSC and Legislature Could Consider Several Options to Enhance Services and Consumer Protection
    Report 08-63 November 2008
  4. Greater Use of Alternative Resolution Could Aid Consumer Protection
    Report 05-15 March 2005
Copies of this report in print or alternate accessible format may be obtained by email OPPAGA@oppaga.fl.gov, telephone (850) 488-0021, or mail 111 W. Madison St., Room 312 Tallahassee, FL 32399-1475.
Copies of this report in print or alternate accessible format may be obtained by email OPPAGA@oppaga.fl.gov, telephone (850) 488-0021, or mail 111 W. Madison St., Room 312 Tallahassee, FL 32399-1475.
consumer protection, insurance, consumer protection, complaints, call center, hot line, mediation, complaint resolution, restitutution, coordination, Attorney General, Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, Lemon Law, price gouging, consumer roundtable, complaint data, professional engineers, complaints, consumer protection, licensees, professions, regulation, safety, hearing, alternative resoluation, mediation, violation, boards, professional regulation, citations, final order, allegation, privatization, professional boards, consumer complaints, consumer services, consumer protection, resolution, fraud, economic crimes, price gouging, Lemon Law, regulation of business and professionals, violations of licensing standards, consumer protection and insurance, consumer complaints, regulation