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Which Communities Complain To Policymakers? Evidence From Consumer Sentinel

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  • Devesh Raval

Abstract

Consumer complaints provide a signal of the problems that different American communities face. I use a large database of millions of complaints to examine how per capita complaint rates vary across communities, as well as heterogeneity in who complains to different agencies and about different consumer protection issues. I find higher complaint rates in more heavily Black, more educated, higher income, older, and more urban communities and lower complaint rates in more heavily Hispanic and higher household size communities. The demographics of complaints are quite different for the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, with much higher rates of complaints from Black and college educated areas compared to the Federal Trade Commission or Better Business Bureaus. I also find much higher rates of finance related complaints from Black communities across all reporting agencies. (JEL D18, H50, J10)

Suggested Citation

  • Devesh Raval, 2020. "Which Communities Complain To Policymakers? Evidence From Consumer Sentinel," Economic Inquiry, Western Economic Association International, vol. 58(4), pages 1628-1642, October.
    • Handle: RePEc:bla:ecinqu:v:58:y:2020:i:4:p:1628-1642
    DOI: 10.1111/ecin.12838
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Pagan,Adrian & Ullah,Aman, 1999. "Nonparametric Econometrics," Cambridge Books, Cambridge University Press, number 9780521355643, October.
    2. Papke, Leslie E & Wooldridge, Jeffrey M, 1996. "Econometric Methods for Fractional Response Variables with an Application to 401(K) Plan Participation Rates," Journal of Applied Econometrics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 11(6), pages 619-632, Nov.-Dec..
    3. Oster, Sharon, 1980. "The Determinants of Consumer Complaints," The Review of Economics and Statistics, MIT Press, vol. 62(4), pages 603-609, November.
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    Cited by:

    1. Dou, Yiwei & Hung, Mingyi & She, Guoman & Wang, Lynn Linghuan, 2024. "Learning from peers: Evidence from disclosure of consumer complaints," Journal of Accounting and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 77(2).
    2. H. Lim & J. C. Letkiewicz, 2023. "Consumer Experience of Mistreatment and Fraud in Financial Services: Implications from an Integrative Consumer Vulnerability Framework," Journal of Consumer Policy, Springer, vol. 46(2), pages 109-135, June.
    3. Andrew Sweeting & David J. Balan & Nicholas Kreisle & Matthew T. Panhans & Devesh Raval, 2020. "Economics at the FTC: Fertilizer, Consumer Complaints, and Private Label Cereal," Review of Industrial Organization, Springer;The Industrial Organization Society, vol. 57(4), pages 751-781, December.

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    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • D18 - Microeconomics - - Household Behavior - - - Consumer Protection
    • H50 - Public Economics - - National Government Expenditures and Related Policies - - - General
    • J10 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - General

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