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Filing a Written Consumer Dispute With a Business and a Card Issuer

This guide presents selected U.S. government consumer education from Federal Trade Commission. References to “we” or “us” in the source material refer to the issuing agency. Source dates and links appear below.

Sample Customer Complaint Letter

Are you looking to write an effective complaint letter? It's helpful to explain the problem and say how you want the company to resolve it. Make the letter clear and include only the details that describe the problem and the resolution you want. The sample letter below might help.

Information To Include in Your Letter

Be polite and reasonable in your letter. The person who will read it probably didn’t cause the problem, but may be very helpful in resolving it.

Give the basics

  • Include your name, mailing address, and phone number, if you want the business to use it.
  • Include your account number, if you have an account with the business, and the related transaction number.
  • Give the product name and its serial or model number.
  • State the date and place you bought the product or service or had it repaired or serviced. Give important details about the transaction.

Tell your story

  • Explain the problem.
  • Give a brief history of what you've done to fix the problem if that helps to explain why you’re writing to the business.

Explain how you want to resolve the problem

  • Tell the business what you want, like a refund, repair, exchange, or store credit. Or ask the business to suggest a solution.
  • Name all the documents you include with the letter. Make copies of important documents and send the copies in the letter. Keep the original documents.
  • Tell the business how to contact you.

Describe your next steps

Send your complaint letter

  • Make a copy of the letter to keep.
  • Send your letter by certified mail and ask for a return receipt. If you file your complaint letter online, print the screen that shows your letter or take a screenshot of your letter before you click “submit.”

Sample Letter

This sample letter has choices to help you build your letter. When you write, pick the words that describe your situation.

[Your Mailing Address]

[Your City, State, Zip Code]

[Your email address]

[Date you write the letter]

[Name of Person you're writing to]

[Title of person you're writing to (or) Consumer Complaint Division]

[Name of Business]

[Business Street Address]

[Re: Your account number if you have one and the order (or) transaction number]

Dear [Name of Person (or) Consumer Complaint Division]:

On [date], I [bought (or) leased (or) rented (or) hired (or) or had repaired (or) had serviced] a [name of the product or service] [with serial (or) model number] at [place you got the product or service]. [Add other important details about the transaction.]

Unfortunately, [your product has not performed well (or) the service was inadequate] because [the product was defective (or) the product doesn't work properly (or) the service wasn’t performed correctly (or) I was billed the wrong amount (or) something was not disclosed clearly (or) something was misrepresented (or) explain the problem].

To resolve the problem, I would like a [refund (or) repairs (or) an exchange (or) store credit (or) explain what you want the company to do]. I have enclosed copies of my [records (or) receipts (or) guarantees (or) warranties (or) cancelled checks (or) contracts (or) model and serial numbers (or) other documents] about this transaction.

I look forward to your reply and a resolution to my problem. I will wait until [give a date] before I contact a consumer protection agency or get other help.

Please contact me [at the address on this letter (or) at the email on this letter (or) by phone at (xxx)-xxx-xxxx].

Sincerely,

[Your name]

Enclosure(s)

[Name the documents you include with the letter]

Example Complaint Letter

Here’s an example of a complaint letter.

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Report Fraud or Deception

If you think a business has been dishonest, contact your state attorney general or consumer protection office. Tell the FTC too, at ReportFraud.ftc.gov. The FTC doesn't resolve individual reports, but your report helps law enforcement detect patterns and may lead to an investigation.

For more help resolving a customer problem, check out these ideas and strategies. 

Sample Letter for Disputing Credit and Debit Card Charges

There are many reasons why you might need to dispute charges on your credit or debit card. Were you charged for something you returned, ordered but never got, or don’t recognize? Were you charged without your permission for more than you agreed to pay, or for things you didn’t buy? If so, here’s what to do and a sample letter to help get your money back.

Contact Your Credit or Debit Card Company

You have to tell your credit or debit card company about any error you’re disputing within 60 days of when the first statement with the charge was sent to you. Know that legal protections for credit cards are stronger than for debit cards, but some debit card companies voluntarily offer more protections than they’re required to.

To make sure you catch errors in time, review your account statements carefully every month. If you see an error, submit a dispute right away.

Start by calling the card company’s customer service number to report the problem. Find the telephone number on your monthly statement or on the back of your card. Keep a record of who you spoke with and when — then follow up with a letter like the sample below.

Many card companies let you submit disputes online. You may have to set up an online account to do that. Even if you submit the dispute online, still follow up with a letter to fully protect yourself.

Send a Dispute Letter to Your Card Company

After you call the card company or dispute the charge online, follow up right away with a letter disputing the charge. The letter serves as a written notice to the card company about the problem. Remember: You must send the letter within 60 calendar days of when the first statement with the disputed charge was sent to you.

Make sure your letter includes

  • your name and account number
  • the dollar amount of the disputed charge
  • the date of the disputed charge
  • an explanation of why you think the charge is incorrect

Here are some reasons a charge might be incorrect:

  • The date or amount of the charge is wrong.
  • The charge is for goods or services that you didn’t accept or that weren’t delivered to you as agreed.
  • You were charged more than once for something.
  • You returned the item(s), but the credit wasn’t posted to your account.
  • You paid for the item(s), but the payment wasn’t posted to your account.
  • You didn’t authorize the transaction.

Send your letter to the address your card company lists for billing disputes, errors, or inquiries. Look on your monthly statement, the card company’s website, or your card agreement to get the right address. The address for billing disputes is usually different from the address where you send your payments.

Send your letter by certified mail, if possible. Ask for a return receipt so you have proof that the card company got your letter. Include with your letter copies of any receipts, checks, or other proof of the transaction. Hold on to your originals.

Consider Contacting the Seller

It may also help to contact the seller about problems you’re having with debit or credit card charges. But for most problems, contact the card issuer first so you don’t lose your right to dispute due to timing requirements.

When you contact the seller, keep a record of the name of the person you spoke with and when. If they fix the problem, check back with your card company — often your bank — to make sure your account shows the credit or refund.

Sample Letter for Disputing Credit or Debit Card Charges

Use this sample letter to help you write your dispute letter.

[Date]

[Your Name]

[Your Address, City, State, ZIP Code]

[Name of Credit or Debit Card Company]

Attn: Billing Inquiries

[Address, City, State, ZIP Code]

Re: Notice of disputed charge to Account No. [Your account number]

Dear [Contact Person or Billing Inquiries Division]:

I am writing to dispute a charge of [$______] to my [credit or debit card] account on [date of the charge]. The charge is in error because [explain the problem briefly. For example, “the items weren’t delivered,” “I was overcharged,” “I returned the items,” “I did not buy the items,” etc.].

[Add any additional explanation that may be helpful. For example, “I ordered the items on [date]. The seller promised to deliver the items to me on [date], but I never received my order.”]

I am requesting that the error be corrected, that any finance or other charges related to the disputed amount be credited to my account, and that I get an accurate statement.

Enclosed are copies of [describe any enclosed information, like receipts, payment records, or documentation of shipment or delivery dates] supporting my position and experience. Please correct the error on my account promptly.

Sincerely,

[Your name]

Enclosures: [List the documents you are enclosing. Send copies, not the originals.]

Report Problems

If you have an issue with your credit card or bank account, report it to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. Go to consumerfinance.gov/complaint, or call (855) 411-CFPB (2372).

Sources and publication details

The federal agency source text is U.S. government work in the public domain. Fynoptic selected, adapted, and formatted it for this guide. No agency endorsement is implied. Follow the linked sources for current program details and the rules applicable to your circumstances.

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