In 2025, the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer
Protection (DATCP) received thousands of written complaints from Wisconsin consumers.
DATCP’s Bureau of Consumer Protection has run the numbers, ranked last year’s top
complaint categories – including one that has ranked among the top ten for the first time – and
found complaints up overall since 2024.
“Last year’s top ten complaint categories represent some of the most common issues
Wisconsin consumers struggled with – issues that anyone could encounter in daily life,” said
DATCP Secretary Randy Romanski. “No matter how common the problem, if consumers are
facing a disagreement with a business that they have been unable to resolve, DATCP is here to
help.”
Complaint counts increased in most of the top categories, and a new category has risen to the
tenth spot for the first time. However, there were other complaint categories that did not make
the ‘top ten’ list but remain noteworthy, with most also receiving an increase in complaints in
2025. At thirteenth, the category ‘Computers and Computer Equipment’ received 103 written
complaints, but 1,185 phone calls to the Consumer Protection Hotline – the third highest call
category. The categories ‘Entertainment and Recreation’ and ‘Motor Vehicle
Accessories/Parts’ received 147 and 101 complaints respectively and have both ranked among
the top ten categories in past years. ‘Gas Pump Accuracy’ also received 101 complaints in
2025. Additional categories of note were ‘Extended Warranties’ (107 complaints), ‘Timeshares
and Resellers’ (95 complaints), and ‘Manufactured Housing and Housing Communities’ (90
complaints, doubling since 2024).
What do all these categories have in common? DATCP is responsible for enforcing consumer
protection regulations that span a variety of issues, and DATCP can assist with all of them.
Consumers can handle many of their own problems with a business, but sometimes no amount
of education, preparation, or persistence is enough to reach a solution. When that happens,
DATCP’s Consumer Protection team is available to help.
DATCP’s involvement makes a difference. In 2025, numerous home improvement contractors
who allegedly violated Wisconsin law faced jail time, probation, and had to pay tens of
thousands of dollars in restitutions and forfeitures. DATCP reached a $450,000 settlement with
a telecommunications provider to resolve allegations that they misrepresented the monthly
price of their internet services. One mediation effort saved a consumer $85,000 on a medical
procedure.
Consumers can request assistance with their issues, no matter how common, big, or small, by
filing an online complaint on DATCP’s Consumer Protection webpage at
ConsumerProtection.wi.gov, or contacting DATCP’s Consumer Protection Hotline at (800)
422-7128 or DATCPHotline@wisconsin.gov.
Summary of DATCP’s top ten consumer complaints filed in 2025:
1. Landlord-Tenant Issues: 2,620 complaints
Landlord-Tenant has remained the number one complaint since 2022. Last year, the Consumer
Protection Hotline received 5,220 phone calls about this issue, thousands more than any other
category. Common issues included failure to maintain the premises, security deposit returns,
eviction, unauthorized entry, mold, infestation, inadequate disclosures, and unsatisfactory
service.
2. Telemarketing: 1,283 complaints
Commonly reported issues in this category included phishing and spoofing, imposter scams,
robocalls, harassment, and violations of the Do Not Call Registry.
3. Home Improvement: 641 complaints
Commonly reported home improvement issues concerned quality of work, charges for
services/repairs that were not performed, delays in performance, failure to provide services and
materials, failure to honor warranties, deceptive and misleading representations, and failure to
disclose lien rights.
4. Telecommunications: 633 complaints
This category saw an increase in complaints and rose from fifth place in 2024 to fourth place.
Consumers reported issues about billing disputes, customer dissatisfaction, cancelation denials,
service disconnections/terminations, deceptive and misleading representations, agreed-upon
terms not being followed, and refund and adjustment policies.
5. Identity Theft: 468 complaints
Many of these reports involved takeovers of online accounts like social media profiles or
financial accounts, with additional issues including fraud, data breaches, and compromised
identification documents.
6. Medical Services: 456 complaints
The top issue in this category was medical billing disputes. Others included misleading
representations and unsatisfactory service.
7. Motor Vehicle Repair: 445 complaints
Complaints in this category increased significantly in 2025 compared to the previous year – by
more than 100 complaints – with top issues including unsatisfactory quality of work, damage
and loss of property, failure to honor agreements or perform work, performance delays, untrue
or misleading advertisements, charges above estimates, charges for work not performed, and
unauthorized service.
8. Motor Vehicle Sales: 380 complaints
The most common issues cited in these complaints were inadequate disclosures, prize notice
mailers, and untrue, deceptive, and misleading representations. DATCP’s primary
responsibility in this category is advertising and marketing, and the agency works closely with
the Wisconsin Department of Transportation to protect new and used vehicle buyers.
9. Travel: 219 complaints
The travel category covers a wide range of issues such as airlines, hotels and lodging, auto
rentals, and travel service bundles, with common consumer complaints including billing
disputes, refund and adjustment policies, charges above estimates, failure to provide services,
failure to return deposits, and unsatisfactory service.
10. Major Appliances: 158 complaints
DATCP’s number ten consumer complaint category of 2025 is new to the top ten list. Top
issues in this category included defective products, billing disputes, refund/adjustment policies,
failure to honor agreements, and untrue, deceptive, and misleading representations. A number
of these complaints were filed after one relevant business closed on short notice, leaving many
of its customers with questions and concerns.
For more information and consumer protection resources, or to file a complaint, visit DATCP’s
Consumer Protection webpage at ConsumerProtection.wi.gov or contact DATCP’s Consumer
Protection Hotline at (800) 422-7128 or DATCPHotline@wisconsin.gov.
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Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection
CONSUMER COMPLAINT STATISTICS
2025
RANK IN
2025
COMPLAINT
CATEGORY
NUMBER OF
COMPLAINTS
CHANGE SINCE
2024
1 Landlord/Tenant 2,620 ↑ 95
2 Telemarketing 1,283 ↓ 230
3 Home Improvement 641 ↓ 23
4 Telecommunications 633 ↑ 106
5 Identity Theft 468 ↓ 150
6 Medical Services 456 ↑ 17
7 Motor Vehicle Repair 445 ↑ 104
8 Motor Vehicle Sales 380 ↑ 83
9 Travel 219 ↓ 25
10 Major Appliances 158 ↑ 55
Total number of consumer complaints received in 2025: 11,884
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