March 6, 2019
ATTORNEY GENERAL RAOUL ANNOUNCES TOP 10 LIST OF CONSUMER COMPLAINTS
Home Repair and Remodeling Complaints Top List for First Time Since 2000
Chicago — In recognition of National Consumer Protection Week, Attorney General Kwame Raoul today
announced his office’s list of Top 10 consumer complaints for 2018. For the first time since 2000, complaints
related to home repairs and remodeling topped the list, after years of debt-related complaints being the
most frequently received by the Attorney General’s Office.
Last year, the Attorney General’s Office received 21,352 complaints, and home repair and remodeling
complaints ranked No. 1, with 2,261 complaints. Consumer debt and identity theft complaints dropped
compared to previous years, with consumer debt ranking second at 1,907 complaints, followed by identity
theft ranking third at 1,899 complaints.
“During Consumer Protection Week, I encourage Illinois residents to be informed consumers, particularly as
they plan ahead for home repair projects,” Raoul said. “As spring approaches, and more homeowners begin
renovations and other home repair work, I urge them to first check out the free resources the Attorney
General’s Office provides.”
According to Raoul, consumers contacted the Attorney General’s Office about a variety of home repair and
remodeling work, ranging from gutter and roof repairs to new constructions. Homeowners reported being
dissatisfied with the quality of work, as well as complete failure by companies to provide any work after
receiving a down payment. Raoul encouraged homeowners to research contractors before making any
payments or signing contracts and to visit the
Attorney General’s website for more information about
homeowners’ rights and tips to help avoid home repair fraud.
Top 10 Breakdown
Raoul’s annual Top 10 list of consumer complaints ranks every complaint his office receives on a range of
topics. The Attorney General’s Consumer Fraud Bureau saved consumers nearly $12 million through
litigation and mediation in 2018. In addition to home repair and remodeling, complaints about consumer
debt, such as mortgage loans, debt collection and complaints related to bank accounts and other banking
services topped the list.
CATEGORY
# OF
COMPLAINTS
1. Construction/Home Improvement (remodeling, roofs and gutters, heating and
cooling, plumbing)
2,261
2. Consumer debt (collection agencies, mortgages, banks)
1,907
3. Identity Theft (credit cards, data breaches, utilities, government document fraud)
1,899
4. Promotions/Schemes (phone scams, lottery scams, investment schemes, phishing)
1,789
5. Motor Vehicle/Used Auto Sales (as-is used cars, financing,
advertising, warranties)
1,783
6. Telecommunications (cable and satellite TV, telemarketing, cell phones, phone
service and repairs)
1,657
7. Internet/Mail Order Products (internet and catalog purchases,
TV and radio
advertising)
1,069
8. Education (student loan debt, for profit schools)
756
9. Motor Vehicle/Non
-Warranty Repair (collision, engines, oil changes and tune-ups) 754
10. Motor Vehicle/New Auto Sales (financing, defects, advertising)
594
For more information, visit
Raoul’s website or contact his office about consumer fraud issues.
Identity Theft Unit
1-866-999-5630 (TTY: 1-877-844-5461)
Student Loan Helpline
1-800-455-2456
Consumer Fraud Hotlines
1-800-386-5438 (Chicago), 1-800-243-0618 (Springfield) or 1-800-243-0607 (Carbondale)
Homeowner Helpline
1-866-544-7151
Spanish Language Hotline
1-866-310-8398
1. Get all estimates in writing.
2. Do not be induced into signing a contract by high-
pressure sales tactics.
3. Never sign a contract with blank spaces or one you do
not fully understand. If you are taking out a loan to
nance the work, do not sign the contract before your
lender approves the loan.
4. You have three business days from the time you sign
your contract to cancel any contract if the sale is made
at your home. Homeowners age 65 or older have up
to 15 business days if they signed a contract with an
uninvited solicitor in the home. e contractor cannot
deprive you of this right by initiating work, selling
your contract to a lender or any other tactic. If you are
planning to le a claim with your insurance company
to pay for the work, you may cancel the contract in
one of two ways, whichever occurs rst:(1) within ve
business days aer receiving written notice from the
insurance company denying your claim; or (2) within
30 days aer you sent a claim to the insurance company.
5. If the contractor does business under a name other than
the contractor’s real name, the business must either be
incorporated or registered under the Assumed Business
Name Act. Check with the Secretary of State to see if the
business is incorporated or with the county clerk to see
if the business has registered under the Act.
6. Homeowners should check with local and county units
of government to determine if permits or inspections
are required.
7. Determine whether the contractor will guarantee his or
her work and products.
8. Determine whether the contractor has the proper
insurance.
9. Do not sign a certicate of completion or make nal
payment until the work is done to your satisfaction.
10. Ask for lien waivers for any and all subcontractors.
CONTRACT TIPS
As you plan for your home repair or improvement project,
it is important to ask the right questions in order to protect
your investment. e tips in this fact sheet should allow
you to protect yourself and minimize the possibility that a
misunderstanding may occur.
If you think you have been defrauded by a contractor or have
any questions, please bring your concerns to the attention of
your state’s attorney or the Illinois Attorney General’s Oce.
Consumer Fraud Hotlines
Springeld
1-800-243-0618
TTY: 1-877-844-5461
Chicago
1-800-386-5438
TTY: 1-800-964-3013
Carbondale
1-800-243-0607
www.IllinoisAttorneyGeneral.gov
Before you pay your contractor, understand that the
Mechanics Lien Act requires that you shall request and
the contractor shall give you a signed and notarized
written statement (known as a “Sworn Statement”) that
lists all the persons or companies your contractor hired
to work on your home, their addresses along with the
amounts about to be paid, and the total amount owed
aer the payment to those persons or companies.
Suppliers and subcontractors have a right to le a lien
against your home if they do not get paid for their labor
or materials. To protect yourself against liens, you should
demand that your contractor provide you with a Sworn
Statement before you pay the contractor.
You should also obtain lien waivers from all contractors
and subcontractors if appropriate. You should consult
with an attorney to learn more about your rights and
obligations under the Mechanics Lien Act.*
*Disclaimer: e contents of this paragraph are required
to be placed in the pamphlet for consumer guidance and
information only. e contents of this paragraph are not
substantive enforceable provisions of the Home Repair
and Remodeling Act and are not intended to aect the
substantive law of the Mechanics Lien Act.
Protect Yourself with Lien Waivers
for all Subcontractors
• Contractor’s full name, address and telephone number.
Illinois law requires that those selling home repair and
improvement services provide their customers with
notice of any change to their business name or address
that comes about prior to the agreed dates for beginning
or completing the work.
• Description of the work to be performed.
• Starting and estimated completion dates.
• Total cost of work to be performed.
• Schedule and method of payment, including down
payment, subsequent payments and nal payment.
• Provision stating the grounds for termination of the
contract by either party. However, the homeowner
must pay the contractor for work completed. If the
contractor fails to commence or complete work within
the contracted time period, the homeowner may cancel
and may be entitled to a refund of any down payment or
other payments made towards the work upon written
demand by certied mail.
• Illinois law also requires contractors who oer roong
work to include their Illinois state roong license name
and number on contracts and bids.
• Provision stating the grounds for termination of the
contract if you are notied by your insurer that all or
any part of the claim or contract is not a covered loss
under the insurance policy, you may cancel the contract
by mailing or delivering written notice to (name of
contractor) at (address of contractor’s place of business)
at any time prior to the earlier of midnight on the h
business day aer you have received such notice from
your insurer or the thirtieth business day aer receipt
of a properly executed proof of loss by the insurer from
the insured.
If you cancel, any payments made by you under the contract
will be returned to you within 10 business days following
receipt by the contractor of your cancellation notice. If,
however, the contractor has provided any goods or services
related to a catastrophe, acknowledged and agreed to by the
insured homeowner in writing to be necessary to prevent
damage to the premises, the contractor is entitled to the
reasonable value of such goods and services.
To le a complaint against a roong contractor, contact
the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional
Regulation at 312-814-6910 or le a complaint directly on
its website. Keep a copy of the signed contract in a safe
place for reference as needed.
BASIC TERMS TO BE INCLUDED IN A CONTRACT
AVOIDING HOME REPAIR FRAUD
1. Door-to-door salespeople with no local connections
who oer to do home repair work for substantially less
than the market price.
2. Solicitations for repair work from a company that lists
only a telephone number or a post oce box number to
contact, particularly if it is an out-of-state company.
3. Contractors who fail to provide references when
requested.
4. People who oer to inspect your home for free.
Do not admit anyone into your home unless he or she
can present authentic identication establishing his or
her business status. When in doubt, do not hesitate to
call the worker’s employer to verify his or her identity.
5. Contractors who demand cash payment for a job or ask
you to make a check payable to a person other than the
owner or company name.
6. Oers from a contractor to drive you to the bank to
withdraw funds to pay for the work.
Please use extreme caution when confronted with the following warning signs of a potential scam:
Rev. 10/2019
