When it comes to spending money, the expense that causes the most angst is cars. A review of the Better Business Bureau of Southern Colorado files found car dealers and repair shops were the most popular complaints in 2007, similar to the level they did the year before. Each month last year, they were among the top 10 complaints received. And according to BBBSC executive director Carol Odell, those complaints will remain a fact of life.

“That will always be because that’s not a science,” she said of car repair. “It’s hard to determine what’s really going wrong.”

Because cars are used daily, what’s fixed one day may break the next and not always be related to the last repair, she said.

“When a consumer brings their vehicle in for one thing, there could be other problems,” said Blair Reeves, director of operations with the BBBSC. “Later something goes wrong, they associate it as the reason for filing a complaint. They want the company to repair it.”

Odell said many of the problems between consumers and repair shops can be solved with better communication between the consumer and shop. Key information for consumers to know beforehand is what work is going to be done, how much will be charged, what the warranty (if any) includes, when the car will be ready and when the payment is due.

Also, checking the shop’s BBB report can alert consumers to patterns of complaints or how the shop has responded to and solved complaints. The nonprofit BBB maintains company reports based on consumer complaints, helps businesses maintain high standards of trust and customer service and provides free mediation services between consumers and businesses.

At the repair shop, ask to keep parts that are replaced, Odell said. They belong to the car owner and can serve as proof later, if there is a dispute. And always get a written estimate, as required by Colorado law. Some shops give verbal estimates, which don’t provide proof.

“What we see is when consumers don’t ask for estimates or don’t understand that by leaving the vehicle they are giving permission to have work done,” Odell said.

About 4,700 complaints were filed with the BBBSC last year, about a thousand more than the year before thanks in part to increased awareness of the agency’s role across southern Colorado, Odell said. The agency rebranded itself last year and advertised its services on billboards and TV commercials.

Not only did more consumers use it to help try resolving complaints, but the number of inquiries into companies surged by about 150,000 from 2006.

Home contractors remained a potential source of problems for consumers in 2007 but high levels of inquiries into the contractors’ BBB reports helped alleviate surges in complaints against them, Odell said. Roofing and heating/air conditioning companies were among the most checked on the BBB’s Web site, statistics showed.

Because consumers take time to research home improvements, they can head off conflicts, Odell said. That’s not always the case with a car purchase, which can be more impulsive and under pressure so it leaves consumers little time to check a dealer’s report.

“If it’s high pressure, and you feel that pressure, you need to take a time out,” Reeves said.

Company complaint records can be searched online at www.bbb.org or by calling the BBB at 636-5076.

Today is my last money management column for The Gazette.