Sigma Exteriors, Wisconsin home improvement contractor

Residential and commercial roofing and home improvement services

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Article from ABCNEWS.com: Schemes, Scams & Savin' a Buck (2/9/00)

Ripoff Report

Which companies are consumers most upset about? Well, the Better Business Bureau's annual activity report has just been released (covering activity in 1998), and it seems that once again, cars and contractors are leaving consumers with the biggest headaches.

But many consumers are also checking out businesses and charities before laying out their money. In fact almost 14 million people contacted the BBB in 1998 to request reliability reports on businesses. What kind of companies were they most likely to check out beforehand? Here's the top 15 list:

Business Ranks by BBB Report Requests

RANK	BUSINESS TYPE	REPORTS REQUESTED
1	Contractors - General	398,922
2	Contractors - Roofing & Guttering	354,957
3	Financial - Mortgage & Escrow Companies	319,571
4	Business Opportunity/Work-at-Home Offers	265,995
5	Moving/Storage Companies	194,362
6	Auto Dealers - Franchised (new and used sales)	181,738
7	Contractors - Home Construction	177,516
8	Auto Repair - Mechanical (except transmission)	172,996
9	Contractors - Home Builders	164,616
10	Contractors - Air Conditioning/Systems/Repair	146,420
11	Windows - Installation & Service	142,880
12	Contractors - Plumbing	121,794
13	Home Furnishings - Floor Covering/Carpet & Rug	103,021
14	Home Services - Carpet/Upholstery Cleaning	102,980
15	Credit-Counseling & Management Services	97,713

Once their money was spent, more than 2.7 million consumers called the BBB with a complaint. Here's the list of the top offenders:

Business Ranks by Complaints Processed

RANK	BUSINESS TYPE	PROCESSED COMPLAINTS
1	Auto Dealers - Franchised (new & used sales)	17,213
2	Contractors - General	12,630
3	Auto Repair - Mechanical (except transmission)	11,234
4	Home Furnishing Stores (except mattress, window, floor covering)	7,850
5	Computers - Dealers	7,285
6	Shopping Services - Ordered Product Sales	7,025
7	Contractors - Roofing & Guttering	6,993
8	Services - Dry Cleaning/Laundry Companies	6,158
9	Auto Dealers - Used Cars Only	5,869
10	Contractors - Home Builders	5,176
11	Home Furnishings - Floor Covering - Carpet & Rug	4,972
12	Moving/Storage Companies	4,922
13	Financial - Mortgage & Escrow Companies	4,099
14	Manufacturers - Products	3,971
15	Contractors - Home Construction/Remodeling	3,949

Arnold Diaz joined ABCNEWS' 20120 in 1995 after establishing his reputation as one of the leading consumer and investigative reporters in the country during 22 years at WCBS-TV in New York City.

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