You paid for a product. You received a problem in a box. Now you are spending your time trying to get someone to fix it.
A complaint letter puts the important details in one place: what you bought, what arrived, and what you want the business to do about it. You can sound angry without making the person reading it hunt for your point.
Decide what you want before you write
If you want a refund, say that. If you would prefer a replacement, ask for that instead. A letter that asks for “something to be done” leaves the next step unclear.
Have these details ready:
- The product and purchase date.
- An order reference the business can use to identify the purchase.
- What was damaged and when you noticed it.
- Any earlier customer-service contact and what remains unresolved.
- The amount you are asking to have refunded.
Keep your complaint tied to what happened. “The handle arrived cracked” says more than “your whole company is a disaster,” even if the second sentence was more satisfying to type.
Example: a refund request for a damaged delivery
Dear Customer Service,
I ordered [product] on [purchase date], order reference [reference]. It arrived on [delivery date] with [specific damage]. I cannot use it as intended because [brief explanation].
I contacted customer service on [date]. [Briefly describe the response or unresolved next step.] I am frustrated that receiving a damaged item has turned into more work for me.
I am requesting a refund of [amount] for [item or charge]. Please confirm how you will handle the refund and whether you need the damaged item returned. If a return is needed, please provide instructions and explain how return shipping will be handled.
Please let me know the next step by [reasonable date]. I would like a clear answer so this does not turn into another round of chasing updates.
[Your name]
Make the example fit your situation
Delete the paragraph about earlier contact if you have not contacted the business yet. Replace every bracketed detail and check the amount against your purchase record. If you want a replacement, change the request throughout the letter so it stays consistent.
Describe any supporting photos or records briefly. Keep them handy for a follow-up rather than assuming the person reading your letter already has them. You do not need your full card number or account password in a complaint.
Choose a requested response date that gives the business time to receive and review the letter. It is your request for an update, not a guarantee of when the business will respond.
Need help with the structure or tone? Read how to write an angry letter. For a different situation, see our angry letter examples for neighbors, friends and businesses.
Give your complaint a physical presence
Enough typing the same frustration into another chat window. Put it on paper.
Send a real letter for free. Choose whether to sign it. We print and mail it. When asking a business to fix a purchase, include the reference it needs to find that purchase.
You vent. We mail.