How To Complain

Filing a complaint. When you have a grievance relating to a product or service you bought, the first step is to file a complaint, by written letter or email or filling up the grievance resolution forms that most companies provide in their marketing brochures or websites. A written complaint is always better then filing a verbal one, though you can contact the company's help desk or customer service as a preliminary means of lodging your complaint. When submitting a written complaint, keep the communication polite, provide relevant details as to the product or service you purchased, date and place of making the purchase and what is the problem or defect that you are facing.

First contact the seller. When making a complaint, your first point of contact should be the immediate seller who sold the product or service. Time is of the essence here and you should contact the seller immediately once you've found the defect or faced a problem with the service. Most companies and services have a refund or replacement mechanism for goods where the fault or defect is not on account of improper handling or usage by the consumer. However, these conditions are time-bound, so the sooner you complain, the sooner will you be able to secure a refund or replacement. If the immediate seller refuses to take action against the complaint, get contact details for a higher authority such as a manager or supervisor. If this also fails, contact the company's main headquarters or customer service department. Remember, in all instances to keep records of your dealing with the company's employees at each level.

Contacting third parties. If the seller has refused to resolve your problem or has not even responded despite several communications from you, the next recourse available to you is to contact the relevant consumer protection agency or industry regulatory bodies, organizations such as the Better Business Bureau (BBB), trade associations or even the local media such as the newspaper, radio or television stations in your area.

Getting legal assistance. Another method of obtaining relief is to file a claim in the Small Claims Court in your area. You will need to pay a small fee to get your case entered in the docket, appear yourself at the hearings and the documentary procedures are very simple. Should you win; the filing fee will be returned as well. If the person or entity against who you filed the suit does not comply with the court order, you can appeal for an enforcement, which can be done by seizing or attaching the property of that entity, to satisfy your claim. For problems, where the loss incurred is of a higher value, you may opt to retain an attorney, but be prepared for the extra cost and time it will take for you to get relief. In case, you cannot afford an attorney, you can apply for free legal aid from the local Legal Aid or Legal Services Corporation offices.

Dispute Resolution. There are several organizations, at local, state and national level which offer arbitration, mediation and conciliation services between sellers and consumers. Examples of such services are found in the automobile and financial services industries.

Fraud, misrepresentation or safety hazards. For these kinds of issues, you can contact, among others, the Federal Trade Commission, E-Commerce.gov, National Fraud Information Center, the US Consumer Product Safety Commission, the FDA, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and the US Postal Inspection Service if the transaction used mail or inert-state delivery services.