SCDCA webinar explains how to file complaints, 2023 complaint totals and referral process

Scott Cook, communications director for the South Carolina Department of Consumer Affairs, led a Wednesday webinar explaining how consumers can file complaints with the agency and how SCDCA processes and uses complaint information.

Cook said the agency mediates thousands of complaints each year and that "everything is free," noting SCDCA offers voluntary mediation and referral options depending on whether the agency has regulatory authority over the business. He outlined two main filing methods — the agency's online portal at consumer.sc.gov (recommended) and a paper form that can be mailed — and emphasized that the online portal lets filers track status and communicate with staff.

The webinar set out the agency's complaint timeline: SCDCA aims to process new complaints within two business days, mails the complaint to the business, and gives the business 20 business days to respond. If there is no response, SCDCA sends follow-up notices (a 10-day then a five-day follow-up) before a complaint is typically closed as unsatisfied. Cook said that in 2023 SCDCA's average time to resolution across divisions was about 38 days, with the consumer services division averaging 28 days, the legal division averaging up to 70 days, and the identity-theft…