CHARLESTON — West Virginia Attorney General Patrick Morrisey announced the top consumer complaints received in 2020 from Boone, Lincoln, Logan, McDowell, Mercer, Mingo and Wyoming counties.

“Our office’s Consumer Protection Division works tirelessly to review consumer complaints of all shapes and sizes,” Attorney General Morrisey said. “Our office recognizes its role to vigorously protect consumers from scams and predatory business practices. Our attorneys and staff work diligently to resolve consumers’ complaints.”

The list is assembled from written consumer complaints filed with the Consumer Protection Division. The tally does not include phone calls from consumers who did not follow up with a written complaint. It also does not include reports of scams.

The 2020 top complaint categories for Southern West Virginia were:

1. Internet services
2. Cable TV
3. Used vehicle repairs
4. General sales
5. Telephone services
6. Major appliances
7. Financing
8. Cell phone devices and services
9. Home repairs
   Communications complaints remained the top consumer concern statewide for a second consecutive year, accounting for more than a fifth of all complaints filed. Automotive and motor vehicle issues also remained steady at second statewide, followed by general sales complaints.
   The Attorney General encourages consumers to educate themselves about their rights and responsibilities so they do not encounter similar problems.
   Though the list does not include scams, that topic remains a frequently reported consumer issue. The Attorney General warned consumers they should always be wary if a business uses high-pressure sales tactics, refuses to put terms in writing or demands the consumer surrender personal information, such as a Social Security number or banking information.
    Consumers who believe they may have been the victim of a scam or taken advantage of should contact the Attorney General’s Consumer Protection Division at 1-800-368-8808, the Eastern Panhandle Consumer Protection Office in Martinsburg at 304-267-0239 or visit the office online at www.wvago.gov.