Credit services, parking facilities, and airlines made up the terrible top three on a list of consumer complaints for 2019, according to the Better Busines Bureau (BBB) serving Mainland B.C.

And inquiries to the marketplace watchdog for the past year focused chiefly in two areas: personal finances and home repairs or renovations.

In a January 6 bulletin, the local BBB released its top 10 inquiries and complaints (more than 4,000) for 2019, with the trio of grievances noted above joined by, in descending order: electronic-equipment companies, loan companies, online retailers, swimwear dealers, collection agencies, new-car dealers, and moving companies.

Karla Laird, Mainland B.C. BBB spokesperson, said in the release that the top complaint is not a surprise: "Consumers tend to have the most issues and the greatest concern about things that directly affect their finances, whether it is them borrowing money or managing debt."

She noted: "However, it is concerning that in many of the complaints, consumers reported feeling pressured and misled into accepting contracts and loans without fully understanding the details and obligations."

In terms of regular inquiries (of which the bureau claims to have received more than two million during 2019), leaky finances, pipes, and roofs seem to have been the motivating factors behind the list-leading requests for reputable loan companies (60,504 inquiries), plumbers (57,284), and roofing contractors (53,038).

Rounding out the 10 were general contractors (50,654), home-improvement outfits (46,615), moving companies (42,514), home builders (31,438), heating contractors (31,190), collection agencies (31,030), and painting contractors (29,514).