The board of Consumer Affairs experienced a seven percent jump in the cases it investigated last year. According to its annual report, the upswing was due to increased reports relating to the automotive, medical and insurance industries.

The top complaints in the realm of health were health professionals submitting insurance claims late and consumers being unable to obtain their medical records.

In the car industry, the top problems included consumers being unable to choose their own service providers for repairs. Another common gripe was insurance companies insisting on a repair almost equal to the value of the car when the garage has deemed it to be a write off. It also conducts research on consumer matters and educates the public on this topic.

According to the annual report, in addition to 824 investigations, other key achievements in 2006 were a media campaign geared to the 18-35 age group highlighting common consumer mistakes and the development of a booklet on the small claims procedure at Magistrates’ Court.