Auto dealers generate highest number of complaints to Spokane BBB office

New and used auto dealers generated the highest number of complaints to the Spokane-area Better Business Bureau in 2016, followed by collections agencies and property management firms.

The BBB fielded 137 complaints about auto dealers, 51 about collection agencies and 33 about property management firms. The same three industries topped last year’s local complaint list, though numbers of complaints dropped by about 20 percent this year, said Kirstin Davis, the BBB’s North Idaho and Eastern Washington marketplace director.

High volume industries, such as car dealerships and property management firms, tend to appear regularly on the list. Collections – “That’s a difficult industry to be in” – frequently makes the list, too, Davis said.

The BBB helps resolve disputes between consumers and companies. In addition, consumers can use BBB.org as a resource, checking to see which companies are accredited with the BBB and what the company’s track record is for responding to and resolving complaints, Davis said.