How to make a consumer complaint
Step 4: Making the complaint...
At this early stage you may find it more effective to make your complaint face to face or over the phone, rather than in a formal letter.
Always keep notes of what happened, in the sequence that it happened and as soon as possible after it happened. Include dates of phone calls or other conversations, who you spoke to and what was said.
When making your complaint, remember to:
- Be polite but firm. Sarcasm or rudeness won't help your cause. You may feel angry, but an effective complaint is based on presenting yourself as a reasonable person rather than an unreasonable one
- Explain your problem, keep to the facts and know your rights
- Tell them what you want them to do for your complaint to be resolved. Focus on the action you want the supplier to take rather than on your anger or disappointment.
For example, specify whether you are looking for a replacement, a repair, a refund, completion of an unfinished service, or simply an apology.
Remember that while these are all options, the law does not specify who chooses the form of redress. Therefore it is up to you to negotiate this with the supplier.
Be determined
In the case of goods, a shop may suggest you send the product back to the manufacturer. But if the shop has sold you faulty goods, under consumer law it's up to the seller to deal with your problem.
If you feel you may have the issue resolved more efficiently by dealing directly with the manufacturer i.e. you can agree an appropriate time for the service team to call, then you may wish to do it that way.
However the shop cannot absolve itself of responsibility and you need to make it clear that if you have any further problems you will go back to the shop for them to correct the situation. Alternatively you can insist that the shop deals with the manufacturer directly on your behalf.
If you are in the shop you should also be aware that notices stating "We don't give refunds" or "No refunds in the sales." These signs may be illegal.
Your statutory rights don't change just because you bought something in a sale. If they tell you that customers aren't entitled to refunds - full stop, they may be breaking the law and we'd like to hear about it.
Many problems can be sorted out quickly and simply at the counter or over the phone. But if you are still not satisfied with their response, you may need to make a more formal complaint.
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