The survey by the Consumer Federation of America found an increase in the number of local consumer agencies that cited e-commerce or the Internet as a major complaint category in 2002, pushing it into one of the top 10 complaints. Two perennial top complaints -- those involving auto purchase and repair and home improvement projects -- were also up, possibly due to strong activity in those areas, the CFA said. Nearly a fourth of 43 consumer agencies surveyed said the Internet and e-commerce were a top complaint category, according to the survey. E-commerce has been expanding rapidly in recent years. U.S. government figures show online sales grew 27 percent between the third quarter of 2003 and the same period last year. In addition, consumer agencies are also seeing an increasing number of complaints about e-mail scams and purported business opportunities being peddled on the Internet.
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