q CLIMBING THE CONSUMER COMPLAINT LADDER
Complaining isn’t fun. Sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn’t, requiring more serious steps to be taken. Obviously, the best thing you can do is to shop carefully, avoid problems, and eliminate the task of righting the wrong. However, if you do end up with unsatisfactory products or services, you have a responsibility, as well as a right, to complain. If you don’t complain, you do no one a favor—you merely make more room in the marketplace for poor products and shoddy service.
Before you complain, make sure you have a legitimate complaint and not a problem that you caused yourself. Next, decide what’s wrong and exactly how you want it corrected: do you want a new product? the product fixed at no charge? your money back? (The warranty you were given by the company will affect your choices in this regard to some extent.) Choose a solution that’s fair and reasonable. Finally, decide how best to start the complaint process: in person, by phone, or by mail.
STEP 1: In resolving any complaint:
• Identify yourself and explain your problem clearly, concisely and politely.
• Have receipts, warranties and all other pertinent documents on hand.
• If sending a complaint letter, keep a copy of the letter, consider sending it by registered mail for proof that it was received, and state a date by which you would like a reply so you know if the company is ignoring you.
• Record the name and title of everyone you talk with when you complain in person or over the phone.
• Give the person hearing your complaint a fair chance to respond. • Stand firm—don’t accept a solution you feel is inadequate. • If you don’t get any satisfaction from the people you’ve spoken to or written to, consider going higher up in the company—all the way to the president, if necessary!
• If you have to send more than one letter to an out-of-state company, consider sending a copy to the Consumer Division of the Attorney General’s Office in that state.
• Promptly confirm any agreement by letter. Insist that all promises be put in writing.
On Your Own, 2008 Edition 63
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80 |
Page 81 |
Page 82 |
Page 83 |
Page 84