NCJ Number
79276
Date Published
1981
Length
234 pages
Annotation
Using data from a national survey of over 2,400 respondents and case studies of individual consumer problems, this book describes major flaws in current complaint handling and suggests ways to improve opportunities for the just consideration of consumer grievances.
Abstract
Following an overview of the variety of product and service failures that consumers encounter, the book addresses obstacles in the consumer complaint process. Case studies illustrate the principal impediments to the consumer's perception of problems, including difficulties in determining facts, problems which change as time passes, and low expectations of poorer consumers. The discussion of factors which inhibit individuals from voicing complaints considers the emotional and financial costs of complaining, intimidation and retaliation from sellers, inadequate consumer knowledge about consumer assistance agencies, and lack of access to the law. Other cases demonstrate the imbalance of power where businesses generally operate from a position of strength. Techniques that businesses employ to rebuff complaints are examined, such as the runaround, the silent treatment, and blaming the victims. Shortcomings of third-party complaint handlers -- courts, government agencies, Better Business Bureaus, and voluntary organizations -- are also explored. A separate chapter describes the results of a 1975 national survey which conducted telephone interviews of over 2,400 respondents in 34 cities about their experiences with 34 typical consumer products and services. Finally, the study discusses reforms, emphasizing the need for procedures to enable consumers to make businesses accountable for the shortcomings of products and services. At the buyer-seller level, these include establishing procedures for handling complaints, responding to complaints within reasonable time periods, and maintaining records to permit easy monitoring of complaint handling. Methods for dealing with disputes that cannot be resolved at the buyer-seller level are reviewed, including mediation, arbitration, lower cost legal services, and small claims courts. Tables, over 200 footnotes, and an index are provided. The appendixes contain a list of sources for the case studies, a description of the survey's methodology, and the survey questionnaire.