How to Complain Successfully

By Juliet Bickford | WSLS10 Anchor
Published: February 8, 2008

The product breaks. The service you signed up for never delivers. The used car you bought is a lemon. People don’t know where to go to complain. Consumer Reports Money Adviser has come up with a comprehensive guide to help you get results.

The best place to start is with the company itself. That’s where you’re likely to get the fastest satisfaction. And if you can’t get help from a supervisor, go right to the top. How do you find the head honcho? Scour the firm’s Web site or annual report for the chairman, chief executive officer, and the like.

Let the company know that you want to resolve the problem, but you are also interested in remaining their customer. If you act angry or threatening, the company may not help because it already knows it lost you.

If your complaint doesn’t get any action, you have to go outside the company. The best place to start is with the local consumer protection agency. Often that’s either a consumer protection department or the state attorney general. Also try the Better Business Bureau at http://www.bbb.org. There you can file a complaint online.

If all else fails, Consumer Reports says a sure way to have your complaint taken seriously is to file a lawsuit. Small-claims court is a good choice for smaller cases.

You can get Consumer Reports Money Advisers’ complete guide to complaining by clicking here.

If all else fails, Consumer Reports says a sure way to have your complaint taken seriously is to file a lawsuit. Small-claims court is a good choice for cases involving under $5,000.

Here is some information about to contact Virginia government offices that deal with consumer complaints:
Antitrust and Consumer Litigation Section
Office of the Attorney General
900 East Main St.
Richmond, VA 23219
804-786-2116
Toll free: 1-800-451-1525
Fax: 804-786-0122
E-mail:
www.oag.state.va.us

Office of Consumer Affairs
Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services
Oliver W. Hill Building
102 Governor Street
Richmond, VA 23219
804-786-2042
Toll free: 1-800-552-9963 (VA)
TTY: 1-800-828-1120 (Toll free)
Fax: 804-225-2666
www.vdacs.virginia.gov

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