Florida Consumer Complaints Guide

1. Scroll to the category of information which applies to your complaint; or
2. See "Business Complaints" below for general complaints or to check on a Florida business; or
3. Review our Regulated Industries Guide to find which agency regulates a particular business type and contact that agency for guidance.
4. See the bottom of this page for additional consumer related information and links.

• Food safety inspection
  
• Animal disease & pest inspection upon entry and exit
  
• Plant disease upon entry and exit through inspection
  
• Investigation of wild land fires throughout the state
  
• Consumer protection/investigation of: telemarketing, charitable solicitations, business opportunities and motor vehicle repair fraud

Apartments – Information for Renters

Attorney Complaints

Click on "Lawyer Regulation" and then "Regulation of Lawyer Conduct" once at the Florida Bar's website.

Auto Complaints

Auto & Motor Vehicle Dealer Complaints

Auto "Lemon Law"

Auto Lemon Law Consumer Information

Auto/Motor Vehicle Repair

Auto Safety & Recalls

Autos - Odometer Fraud

Banking & Financing Complaints

Banking & Finance Complaints

Banks, Financial Fraud, Financial Investigations
Specific complaint areas include:

• Consumer complaints/financial investigations related to consumer fraud
  
• Banks (state chartered banks)
  
• Boiler Room Operations
  
• Cemetery Trust Funds & Complaints
  
• Collection Agencies
  
• Credit Unions
  
• Finance Companies
  
• Funeral Pre-need Sales
  
• Home Improvement Sales
  
• International Banks
  
• Investment Fraud
  
• Misuse of State Funds or State Property
  
• Mortgage and Consumer Finance Companies
  
• Motor Vehicle Sales
  
• Retail Installment Credit
  
• Stocks/Securities

Banks & Financing Consumer Information

National Banks - Federal Reserve

Bankruptcy Resources

Credit Repair Scams

Fair Debt Collection Practices Act

Business Complaints (Statewide - Attorney General)

Jacksonville Area - City of Jacksonville Consumer Affairs
Miami-Dade County - Consumer Services Department
Orlando Area/Orange County - Consumer Fraud Unit
St. Petersburg/Clearwater Area - Pinellas County Consumer Protection
Tampa Area/Hillsborough County Government - Consumer Protection Agency

Better Business Bureau

Organization attempts to address marketplace problems in a fair manner through the use of voluntary self-regulation and consumer education.

Dept. of Business & Professional Regulation

Applies to the following industries & professionals only:

• Alarm System Contractors
  
• Alcoholic Beverages and Tobacco
  
• Architects
  
• Asbestos Consultants
  
• Athlete Agents
  
• Auctioneers
  
• Barbers
  
• Building Code Administrators & Inspectors
  
• Community Association Managers
  
• Construction Contractors
  
• Cosmetologists & Beauty Salons
  
• Crematories
  
• Direct Disposers
  
• Electrical Contractors
  
• Embalmers
  
• Employee Leasing
  
• Funeral Directors & Related Facilities
  
• Engineers
  
• Geologists
  
• Landscape Architects
  
• Pilots (Harbor)
  
• Surveyors and Mappers
  
• Talent Agencies
  
• Veterinarians - Veterinary Medicine

Charitable Organization Complaints

College Financial Aid Scams

Florida Division of Consumer Services

This agency handles consumer complaints concerning applicable regulated businesses. | Complaint Form
Toll Free: (Florida Only) 1-800-435-7352; or All Others: (850) 922-2966
The following types of business are covered by this agency:

• Business Opportunities (sale or marketing of business opportunities)
  
• Charitable Organizations (Charities)
  
• Dance Studios
  
• Health Clubs & Health Studios
  
• Lemon Law (Autos)
  
• Motor Vehicle Repair Shops
  
• Pawnbrokers
  
• Sweepstakes/Game Promotions
  
• Telemarketing
  
• Telephone Solicitations - No Sales Solicitation Info
  
• Travel - (Sellers of Travel, Travel Agents, etc.)

Discrimination Complaints

Doctors/Medical Professionals - How do I file a complaint?

Education (PUBLIC Schools, Colleges or Universities)

Elder Abuse

Electric - Electricity Utility Complaints

Email "Spam" Complaints (To Report)

Engineers (Complaints Against)

Ethics Commission (Complaints Against Florida Public Officials)

Financial Investigations

Florida Highway Patrol Complaints

Food Product Complaints

Fraud Complaints (All Types) - File a Complaint

Florida Attorney General’s hotline helps victims of any type of fraud or unfair trade practices get the assistance they need; toll-Free 1-866-966-7226.

Funeral & Cemetary (Hotline)

Health Care Complaints

Health Facility Concerns (Hotline)

Highway Safety

Homeowners' Associations (Complaints)

Business & Professional Regulation

Home Safety

Consumer.gov

Identity Theft Information & Protection - FAQ
Identity Theft

Federal Trade Commission
Florida Attorney General

Insurance Information & Complaints

Internet Scams

Landlord Responsibilities/Rights

See Rights and Duties of Landlords or Search “Legal Topics & Issues” under Public/Consumers

Law Enforcement Complaints

Florida Department of Law Enforcement (Complaints)

Lawyers (Complaints Against)

Once at the Florida Bar website, click on "Consumer Services;" also see fee arbitration program, fee mediation program.

Lead Hazard Control - HUD

Medicaid Fraud (to report)

Medical Products Safety Info - Med Watch

Medical Professionals (Complaints Against)

Mine Safety - U.S. Dept. of Labor

Mobile Homes

Mobile Home Complaints - (Dealers/Manufacturers)

Natural Gas Complaints

Pest Control Complaints

Price Gouging (Fraud Hotline 1-866-966-7226)

Florida Attorney General

Real Estate Complaints

Regulated Industries (All Types)

Locate regulating agencies for information or to file complaints

Renters - Tenant Responsibilities/Rights

See Rights and Duties of Tenants or Search “Legal Topics & Issues” under Public/Consumers

Sex Offenders

Smoking Ban Information - Clean Indoor Air Complaints

Florida Department of State

Applies to the following industries & professionals regulated by this agency only:

• Firearms, Guns Licensees & Instructors
• Private Investigators & Investigation Agencies
• Recovery Agent - Recovery Agencies & Instructors
• Security Officers, Agencies & Instructors

Sunshine Law Violations

Telecommunications (Complaints Against Service Providers)

Telephone "No Sales Solicitation Calls" (Florida)

Complaint Form - Telemarketing

Telephone "Do Not Call" List (U.S.)

Tenants' Responsibilities/Rights

See "Consumer" then "Call-a-Law" section at Florida Bar website.

Utilities - Utility Complaints

Water & Wastewater Industry Complaints

Workplace

Florida Regulated Industries Guide

Links to regulating agencies & requirements for industries that are regulated.

Consumer Assistance Guide

Additional Resources & Contacts.

Consumer Alerts

Consumer Action Handbook

Consumer Fraud (All Types) - Federal Trade Commission

Consumer Product Incident - To Report Problems

Related Information & Links

• Active Consumer-Related Investigations - Florida Attorney General
• Attorney General Consumer Protection | Office Info
• Consumer Alerts - Florida Divison of Consumer Services
• Consumer Action Handbook - U.S. Government Consumer Info
• Consumer Information - Consumer.gov (Federal)
• Consumer Complaints - Selected Agencies & Toll Free Numbers
• Consumer Fraud (All Types) - Federal Trade Commission
  Includes Internet & Email Scams, Identity Theft Complaints
• Consumer Product Incident - To Report Problems
• Consumer Products - Household Product Safety Publications from Consumer Product Safety Commission
• Protecting Yourself from Consumer Fraud - Florida Attorney General - Provides tips on consumer protection in a variety of situations

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