South Carolina Consumer Complaints

The South Carolina Department of Consumer Affairs licenses and regulates automobile brokers, telephone solicitation companies, continuing care retirement communities, rent-to-own businesses, pawn brokers, mortgage loan brokers, staff leasing companies and private personnel placement agencies. If you have had problems with one of these or any other business and have not been able to resolve your complaint contact the Consumer Affairs staff. To help you file a complaint, please know the following.

When you send in the complaint form include any documents that will make it easier to pursue your complaint with the business. These types of documents include a copy of your contract, any warranty, your canceled checks, receipts, and the bill of sale. Be sure to make copies of these documents and keep the originals yourself.

Your complaint will be given a number and assigned to a complaint analyst for review to determine if the Department can assist you. If your complaint falls within the jurisdiction of another agency, South Carolina law requires the complaint be forwarded to that agency. You will be notified if this happens. If you are represented by an attorney or if you have already taken legal action, the Department cannot intercede. Once an analyst determines that you have a complaint that can be handled by the Department, the business you are complaining against will be contacted in writing for a response or suggested resolution.

Several letters will be sent if the business does not reply to the initial request. You will receive a letter in approximately 30 days if the business refuses to respond. More likely the business will contact you with an offer of resolution to your complaint. Even if the offer completely satisfies you remember to contact the Department of Consumer Affairs. If the business contacts the Department first, the analyst will compare the facts presented in your complaint and the facts given by the business. You will then be asked to participate in negotiating an solution satisfactory to both sides.

If the business does not respond, the analyst will see if any other avenues are open to resolve the complaint such as Department enforcement or referral of your complaint to another agency. If not the complaint will be closed. The Department can't always resolve complaints to your satisfaction. However, if they feel you have a valid consumer complaint they will talk to attorneys for legal guidance. They will then advise you of the merits of your complaint and your legal rights.

To contact the South Carolina Department of Consumer Affairs write to P.O. Box 5757, 3600 Forest Drive, 3rd Floor, Columbia, South Carolina 29250. Their phone number is 803-734-4200 or toll free in South Carolina at1-800-922-1594.