Overview of consumer affairs consultation
Part 1 : Trends in consumer issues and consumers' attitude/behavior
Chapter 1 : Collection of information on consumer accidents and result of analysis
Section 3 : Overview of consumer affairs consultation
The number of consultations related to billing fraud was 159,000, the highest in a decade.
(The number of consultations to local consumer affairs centers, etc.)
- The number of consumer affairs consultations in 2017 was 911,000. It is still at a high level.
- As many consultations related to billing fraud postcards whereby the Ministry of Justice, etc. was personated were received, the number of consultations related to billing fraud reached 159,000, the highest in a decade.
For the number of consultations, "communications services" were outstanding. "Goods in general" were the second highest.
- The breakdown of the consultations by product/service type shows that "communications services", which are mostly related to digital contents etc. on a website, were by far the largest category in the number of consultations, with about 247,000 consultations received.
- Unlike previous years, "goods in general" (consultations related to billing fraud postcards, etc.) were 100,000, the second highest number.
- With regard to the payments per consultation, "work, construction & processing" (consultations on roof work and renovation) were the most expensive, amounting to 1,086,000円.
For women in their 50s to 70s, there were many consultations related to billing fraud postcards, etc.
- By gender and age, the number of consultations for both male and female consumers in their 60s was the highest.
- For both genders in a wide age group, the consultations on "communications services" account for substantial percentages.
- In 2017, the number of consultations on "goods in general" (consultations related to billing fraud postcards, etc.) was high in the women of age group of 50s to 70s.
Many consultations for young people are related to troubles arising from living alone.
- For men in their 20s, consultations related to "multi-purpose loan / consumer loan" were also high.
- For women, consultations related to beauty such as esthetic services and health foods were high, regardless of age groups.
For elderly people, consultations related to "adult websites" decreased.
- In 2017, the number of consumer affairs consultations related to elderly people (65 years & over) was 266,000.
- In 2017, "goods in general" (billing fraud postcards, etc.) and consultations related to the Internet (digital content etc.) increased.
- Meanwhile, consultations related to "adult websites" decreased by about 40% from the previous year.
- Consultations related to financial products such as "fund-type investment products" decreased, but that requires attention as there are consultations on investment troubles related to virtual currency from elderly people.
Ratio of consultations related to online stores exceeded in-store sales.
- With sales/purchase method, the ratio of "online stores" (26.0%) exceeded the ratio of "in-store sales" (25.2%) in 2017.
- For elderly people aged 65 years & over, the ratio of "online stores" has increased and exceeded the ratio of "door-to-door sales" in 2017.
- For elderly people with dementia, etc., the ratio of "door-to-door sales" accounts for about 40% and the ratio of "telemarketing sales" accounts for about 20%.
