Discuss your complaint with the business first
Before you can submit a formal consumer complaint to the Office of Fair Trading or another appropriate agency, you must first try resolving the issue directly with the business you purchased the product or service from.
After that, if you're not satisfied with the outcome, you can make a formal complaint for help to resolve your issue.
Preparing your complaint
Before talking to the business, be prepared to:
- describe the problem
- give them the dates you purchased the goods or services, where you bought them and when the problem occurred
- tell them about any action you’ve already taken to fix things (if any)—for example if you've already phoned or visited them and who you spoke with
- show copies of receipts or invoices as evidence of your purchase—you can also take photos or a video as evidence of the problem
- explain the solution you want—for example a refund, exchange, free repairs or the job done again for free
- give them a reasonable timeframe to respond to your complaint—this might be up to a couple of weeks.
Write everything down and hold onto it in case you need to make a formal complaint later.
Complaining to the business
Make your complaint as soon as possible after your purchase.
Be polite and assertive—focus on getting the outcome you want without getting angry, sarcastic or annoyed.
Keep a diary to record everything, including the date and time of your conversation, details of what was said, who you spoke with and anything they promised. This will help jog your memory in case you need to refer to it later.
You can complain:
- in person at the store, workshop or office
- by phone—follow up with a letter if the problem was serious
- in writing by letter or email—address it to the manager and attach copies of receipts or other documents, not the originals.
It's a good idea to post letters using registered mail or get proof of postage—make sure you keep copies.
Don't let them ignore you—send a reminder letter if you don't hear from them in a couple of weeks.
You can refer to this sample phone script and these sample complaint letters for guidance:
Taking it further
Sometimes the business won't cooperate and you won't be satisfied with their response.
If this happens, you can make a formal complaint.
Before making a formal complaint, watch the resolving disputes and consumer complaints video to learn more about resolving disputes and consumer complaints, your consumer rights and how we handle complaints.