FAIR OR NOTWhere to complain — and be heard
When a company overcharges you, ignores a cancellation, or hides fees, a clear complaint is often the fastest way to get your money back. This page explains how to write an effective complaint, what evidence to save, which places to contact in what order, and what to realistically expect. It also explains how your complaint helps regulators spot patterns, even when it does not solve your own problem right away.
Official places to complain
Federal Trade Commission (FTC)
The FTC collects reports about scams, unfair business practices, hidden fees, and subscriptions that are hard to cancel. You can report at ReportFraud.ftc.gov. The FTC uses reports to find trends and build cases, though it generally does not resolve individual complaints.
Have the company name, dates, amounts, and a short description of what happened ready before you start.
Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB)
The CFPB takes complaints about financial products and services, such as credit cards, bank accounts, prepaid cards, money transfers, loans, and debt collection. If your bank or card company will not handle a dispute fairly, this is the place to go.
The CFPB sends your complaint to the company and says companies usually respond within 15 days. You can submit a complaint at consumerfinance.gov/complaint.
Your state attorney general
Every state has an attorney general, and most have a consumer protection office that takes complaints. State laws, such as automatic renewal laws, may give you extra protection.
The National Association of Attorneys General (NAAG) has a Find My AG directory to help you find your state's office.
Federal Communications Commission (FCC)
For billing or service problems with phone, internet, or cable providers, you can file a complaint with the FCC through its Consumer Complaint Center. The FCC sends billing and service complaints to the provider, which has 30 days to respond to you.
Some issues go elsewhere. The FCC notes that complaints about basic cable rates go to your local franchising authority, and charges for non-phone services on a phone bill go to the FTC.
App stores and the Better Business Bureau
If an app misled you or billed you unfairly, report it to the app store. Apple's reportaproblem.apple.com and the Report a problem option in your Google Play order history let you request refunds and flag issues.
The Better Business Bureau (BBB) is a private, nonprofit organization. It is not a government agency and cannot enforce laws, but it does take complaints and share them with businesses.
- Report to more than one place if it fits. For example, a hard-to-cancel app could go to the app store, the FTC, and your state attorney general.
- Keep a copy of each report you file.
Official links: FTC: ReportFraud.ftc.gov ↗ · CFPB: Submit a complaint ↗ · NAAG: Find My AG ↗ · FCC: Filing an informal complaint ↗
Start by gathering your evidence
A complaint is much stronger when you can show what happened. Before contacting anyone, collect the records that tell the story: when you signed up, what price you were shown, what you were charged, and every attempt you made to fix the problem. Screenshots are especially useful because websites and apps can change their screens later.
Keep everything in one folder or envelope. Write a short timeline with dates, who you spoke with, and what they said. This saves time if you need to repeat your story to a card issuer or a government office, and it helps you remember details that are easy to forget weeks later.
- Receipts, order confirmations, and account statements
- Screenshots of prices, checkout pages, and cancel screens
- Cancellation confirmations or emails
- Dates, names, and reference numbers from calls or chats
- Copies of any letters you sent
How to write a complaint that works
Keep it short, calm, and specific. In the first sentence, say what went wrong and what you want, such as a refund of a certain charge or confirmation that your account is closed. Then give the key facts in order with dates and amounts. Leave out angry language; a clear, polite complaint is easier for a staff member to act on.
End by stating the result you want and a reasonable deadline, such as two weeks. Mention that you have kept records and that you will take the matter to your card issuer or a government agency if it is not resolved. If you send it by mail or email, keep a copy and note the date it was sent.
- Say what happened and what you want in the first lines.
- Include account numbers, dates, and amounts.
- Attach or list your evidence.
- Ask for a specific fix and a reply by a set date.
The order to try
Most problems are resolved fastest by going to the business first, then to whoever processed the payment, and then to government agencies. Each step builds your record, and agencies and card issuers often ask whether you tried the company first.
If you paid through an app store, the store may offer its own refund request. If you paid by credit card, you may have formal dispute rights. Debit card and bank payments have different rules, so act quickly and contact your bank as soon as you notice a problem.
- 1. The company: customer service, then a written complaint.
- 2. The app store, credit card issuer, or bank that handled payment.
- 3. The FTC for unfair business practices.
- 4. The CFPB for problems with banks, cards, and loans.
- 5. Your state attorney general's consumer protection office.
- 6. Your state insurance department for insurance problems.
Dispute a charge → · App store refunds → · Where to report →
State attorneys general and insurance regulators
Every state has an attorney general, and most run a consumer protection office that accepts complaints online or by mail. Some offices will contact the business on your behalf and try to help settle the dispute. State laws on auto-renewals, fees, and refunds can be stronger than federal law, so your state office may be especially useful.
Insurance is regulated mainly by the states. If your complaint involves an insurance policy, premium, or claim, your state insurance department is usually the right place to file. These departments review complaints about delays, denials, billing, and how a company handled your policy.
What to expect and why it still matters
Be realistic. Many complaints are settled directly by the company once they are in writing, especially when a card issuer or agency is involved. But some agencies, including the FTC, do not resolve individual complaints. They collect reports to find patterns and decide which businesses to investigate.
That is why every report counts. Complaints are stored and shared with law enforcement, and repeated reports about the same practice can lead to investigations, settlements, refunds for many people, and new rules. Several of the cases on our government actions page started with consumer complaints.
- Follow up if you get no reply by your deadline.
- Keep filing with the next step if the company refuses.
- Save every reply you receive.
Did this happen to you? Sharing what you were charged helps others avoid it.
Report itCommon questions
Where is the best place to file a consumer complaint?
Start with the company itself, in writing. If that fails, contact whoever handled your payment, such as your credit card issuer or app store. After that, file with your state attorney general and the FTC. For bank or credit card problems, the CFPB accepts complaints, and insurance issues go to your state insurance department.
Will the FTC get my money back if I file a complaint?
Usually not directly. The FTC says it does not resolve individual complaints. Instead, it uses reports to spot patterns and bring cases against businesses. Those cases sometimes lead to refunds for affected customers. To get your own money back faster, also contact the company, your card issuer, and your state attorney general.
What should I include in a complaint letter?
Include your name and account details, a short description of what went wrong, dates and amounts, and what you have already tried. State clearly what you want, such as a refund, and give a reasonable deadline. Attach or list your evidence, keep the tone calm, and save a copy of everything you send.
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General consumer information, not legal or financial advice. Reports are the experiences and opinions of their writers, not AblePro, Inc.; we check them against our posting rules but do not verify them.