Hi,
I saved a lot of money in Fatwallet, and this is the time to repay Fatwallet folks.
This thread is divided into 3 sections:
1. Rude Customer Service Representative (CSR), Manager or Bad Services
2. Never-come Rebates
3. Defective Product & Warranty Issue
UPDATE: 5/16/04
added FCC complaint form (thanks to zxz022000)
added FTC complaint form
added Planetfeedback complaint form (thanks to kirbydog)
added Ripoffreport complaint form (thanks to karmablues)
added more detail on finding Attorneys General contact info
UPDATE: 9/22/04
added KRON 4 Contact4 Consumer Volunteers phone #
UPDATE: 10/02/04
added Department Of Consumer Affairs online complaint form (thanks to bamx2)
added Clark Howard radio show (thanks to bamx2)
I compiled a list of methods to file complaints for FREE online in the MOST EFFICIENT way. It saves you time, stamps, envelopes, letters and phone calls, and most importantly it is FREE. Most companies will take you VERY seriously after they receive complaints from agencies, your problem will be most likely solved quickly.
Please post your comment to keep this thread alive. You are welcomed to post your own ideas and experience of filing complaints, and also your bad experience with the companies and its employees. I will update the thread and recompile updated list whenever I have time.
The following are the sections:
1. Rude Customer Service Representative (CSR), Manager or Bad Services:
Most CSRs are nice, but there are always some bad apples in a company.
Many CSRs are required to say their first names at the beginning; remember it or write it down because they may refuse to give you their first name or transfer you to a supervisor upon your request when they think that you may complain to their supervisors. Then later you can call back with the CSR's name to complain to their supervisors.
But why waste your time arguing with that rude CSR for half an hour, when you can get the company or supervisor to do it for you and write him/her up with a bad record and even fire him/her?
The best way is to send complaint to Better Business Bureau with the rude CSR's name. Click
here for Better Business Bureau's complaint form. It is FREE, take you less than 5 minutes. No phone calls, no letters, no stamps. Everything is done electronicly. This is the best way to get the company to take your complaint seriously because your complaint will be on company's public records and BBB will forward your complaint to the company too. If the company doesn't resolve it, your complaint will stay on their records for public to see, which is exactly what the company doesn't want. You may be even able to get the company to have discipline action against the rude CSR and a written apology from the company regarding to the incident just because of this.
Same thing applies to rude managers too, the managers should know better.
A company with a bad BBB record is much more likely to lose a fight with your credit card company in a chargeback situation.
Click here for California Department of Consumer Affairs online complaint form. You can find other states' easily online.
Call KRON 4 Contact4 Consumer Volunteers, 11am to 1 pm pacific time, M-F @ (800)414-5766. This service is provided by Channel 4 BayArea News Station. They will represent you to deal with the company, bad companies will be most likely give in to your request because they are afraid of bad publicity. I think it works for the whole United States, or your local area's news stations may have similar service.
Click here for FTC Consumer Complaint Online Form.
Click here to file a complaint online with the FCC (specially for wireless and wireline telecommunications issues, cable, broadcasting and telecommunications accessibility issues, but not limited to those).
2. Never-come Rebates:
When you call the company asking for never-come rebate checks, they may make all kinds of excuses to make you believe that you are disqualified for the rebate checks when you are in fact qualified and follow every instructions on rebate form. For examples, the excuses can be missing upc, postmark date, exceeding the six months redemption period, etc. Sometimes they just flat out refuse to pay you no matter how many time you call.
Note: MUST remember to keep copies of all your rebate forms, upc, etc.
a. solution #1:
Send complaint to Better Business Bureau. Click
here for Better Business Bureau's complaint form. Yes, this is the magic link. I tried this several times before and the rebate checks just come without asking. The funny thing is that people waste so much time and phone calls arguing with different CSRs and supervisors for their never-come rebates; and then boom, rebate checks just come without asking right after they file the complaints. A company with a bad BBB record is much more likely to lose a fight with your credit card company in a chargeback situation.
Click here for California Department of Consumer Affairs online complaint form. You can find other states' easily online.
Click here for FTC Consumer Complaint Online Form.
Click here to file a complaint online with the FCC (specially for wireless and wireline telecommunications issues, cable, broadcasting and telecommunications accessibility issues, but not limited to those).
Additional sites for filing complaints:
Click here to file complaints to Plantfeedback.com.
Click here to file complaints to Ripoffreport.com.
b. solution #2 (do #1 first):
Send complaint to your state's Attorneys General's office. Go to your state's website and find the fax # or address of the office. Click here for National Association of Attorneys General, then pick your own state there and find their fax & phone # and address.
Mail or fax the complaints with copies of your rebate forms, receipt and UPC. If the company repeats the offense enough, Attorney General will investigate. And the company will change its policy when it realizes that it is under investigation.
c. solution #3 (do #1 first):
Bad companies are always afraid of the media. So use it.
Call KRON 4 Contact4 Consumer Volunteers, 11am to 1 pm pacific time, M-F @ (800)414-5766. This service is provided by Channel 4 BayArea News Station. They will represent you to deal with the company, bad companies will be most likely give in to your request because they are afraid of bad publicity. I think it works for the whole United States, or your local area's news stations may have similar service.
Click here for email to NBC Channel 3 or 11 News Consumer Alert Team to send your complaints and stories about how you never receive your rebate check from the company.
Click here for NBC Channel 10 News Consumer Alert Complaints Form.
Datelineconsumer@hotmail.com is the email to Dateline NBC's Chief Consumer Correspondent Lea Thompson.
You should be able to find links of other NBC News Channels' Consumer Alert Complaints Forms or email addresses easily (for examples, if your NBC is on channel 99, just try www.nbc99.com and find the webpage or email for Consumer Alert.
Go to Clark Howard radio show website and contact them, and they may be able to represent you and help you to deal with your problems.
3. Defective Product & Warranty Issue:
Sometimes, companies refuse to exchange or send replacements to replace the defective products when you are still within warranty period. They insist that their product is not defective or the product is being abused by you when it is not.
Again,
a. solution #1:
Refer to section 2.a. above.
b. solution #2 (do #1 first):
Refer to section 2.b. above.
c. solution #3 (do #1 first):
Refer to section 2.c. above.
You are welcomed to post your own ideas for filing complaints. I will update the thread and recompile updated list whenever I have time.
Have a nice day.
