Complaining effectively and escalating

Most problems with a business are solved with one clear, polite message. When they are not, there is a well-worn path of escalation, and knowing it gives you confidence. (For phone and email skills in general, see the Getting Things Done module; this lesson focuses on your rights and the escalation route.)

Step 1: prepare your case

• Collect the evidence: receipt or order confirmation, photos or video of the problem, screenshots of the advert or description, and any messages.
• Write a short timeline: date bought, date the problem appeared, who you spoke to and what they said.
• Decide what you want: a refund, repair, replacement, redelivery, a partial refund or an apology. Be realistic and specific.
• Find the business's complaints procedure on its website. Citizens Advice says you 'must follow step 1', a formal complaint to the seller, before anything else.

Step 2: a complaint letter that works

• Citizens Advice says it is best to email or write to the seller, and to keep a copy.
• Structure: subject line with your order number; what you bought and when; what went wrong; your rights in one sentence; what you want; a deadline; your contact details.
• Example: 'I bought a desk lamp (order 48213) on 2 May. It stopped working on 9 May. It is not of satisfactory quality under the Consumer Rights Act 2015, so I am requesting a full refund. Please respond within 14 days.'
• Citizens Advice publishes free template letters, including for faulty goods, poor service, delays and non-delivery.
• If you paid by card, Citizens Advice suggests sending a copy of the complaint to your card provider too.

Step 3: if they say no (UK route)

• Ask for a final response, sometimes called a 'letter of deadlock'. You will need it for later steps (Citizens Advice).
• Check whether the trader belongs to a trade association, which may help (Citizens Advice).
• Ask your card provider or PayPal about a chargeback or, for credit cards, a section 75 claim (Citizens Advice). Section 75 covers single items costing more than £100 and no more than £30,000.
• For PayPal, Citizens Advice says you have 180 days from when you paid to open a dispute.
• Use alternative dispute resolution (ADR) if the trader offers it. Citizens Advice says a scheme has to deal with your case within 90 days once you have submitted it.
• The small claims court is a last resort and probably only worth it for expensive items, according to Citizens Advice.

Ombudsmen: free and independent

• Citizens Advice describes ombudsman schemes as 'independent, free and impartial'.
• You can usually go to an ombudsman after you have used the organisation's complaints procedure, or if it takes too long, usually 8 weeks.
• UK examples include the Energy Ombudsman, the Communications Ombudsman (phone and internet) and the Financial Ombudsman Service (banks, insurance and loans).
• You cannot use an ombudsman if you have already started court action (Citizens Advice).
• Citizens Advice's consumer helpline is 0808 223 1133 (Citizens Advice).

Complaining in the UAE

• Start with the business, in writing, keeping your Arabic invoice and any messages.
• If that fails, u.ae lists the Ministry of Economy on 800 1222 and an online complaints service.
• Each emirate has a department of economic development; for Dubai, u.ae links to consumerrights.ae for consumer complaints.
• u.ae also lists the Emirates Society for Consumer Protection, a non-profit organisation.
• For banking problems, u.ae refers to the Central Bank of the UAE's consumer protection regulation; see the Banking and Credit module.