Attorney General Charity Clark has announced the top ten consumer complaints received in 2025 by the Consumer Assistance Program (CAP) as part of National Consumer Protection Week. The office reported that CAP handled 7,607 consumer inquiries last year and mediated 1,126 complaints, successfully resolving 587 cases.
For the fourth consecutive year, issues related to vehicles, home improvement projects, and retail transactions made up the majority of complaints. Together, these categories accounted for 58 percent of all top complaints submitted in 2025.
Clark also released CAP’s 2025 Annual Report, which noted that more than $1.4 million was saved or recovered for consumers. An additional $250,000 was recovered for the State of Vermont.
“This Consumer Protection Week, I want to remind Vermonters of the free services that my office’s Consumer Assistance Program provides,” said Attorney General Clark. “Affordability remains a persistent challenge in our state, and the staff and students of the Consumer Assistance Program work hard to help save you money through scam education, complaint mediation, small business assistance, and more.”
The CAP program operates at the University of Vermont in partnership with the Attorney General’s Office and has been active for over forty years. Its primary mission is to resolve consumer problems across Vermont through mediation services as well as outreach and educational efforts. Staff members and service-learning students respond to informal questions from consumers, refer them to resources, and mediate disputes.
In 2025 fuel-related issues ranked fourth among complaints; CAP received 91 such reports. Through its mediation service—provided at no cost—more than $39,000 was recovered for residents dealing with propane or heating fuel problems. The program gives priority to helping households facing delayed deliveries during winter months; last year it assisted 21 homes experiencing little or no heat and resolved 86 percent of heating fuel cases.
Vermonters are encouraged to contact CAP if they have consumer concerns at any stage of a problem. Complaints filed with CAP help identify patterns in consumer issues; this information is used by lawmakers when considering new protection laws as well as by enforcement authorities and educators.
The full CAP 2025 Annual Report—including details on the top ten complaints—is available on their website at ago.vermont.gov/cap.
