Consumer Affairs

Consumer Product Complaint & Solution

Follow steps by step in case you are not satisfied with company or product .

Contact the company

If you’re not satisfied with goods or services you’ve paid for, asking more questions can often help you achieve a satisfactory result. Those questions will normally fall into one of the following categories:

•     Asking for a replacement product or for the services to be provided to your satisfaction;
•     Asking for a repair to a defective item; or
•     Asking for a refund of the money you paid.

Your first step in correcting a consumer problem should usually be to contact the company directly.  Depending on the circumstances, you may want to contact either the department, person or location you made the purchase from or the company’s customer service department.  State the nature of the problem you’ve experienced, and request that the company take action to correct it.  If you find that any person you speak to doesn’t seem able or willing to help correct the problem, try to contact another company representative, perhaps a supervisor.  Most companies are quite responsive to customer complaints because they understand that an unhappy customer probably will not be a repeat customer.
Contact the Better Business Bureau.< If your efforts to solve the problem directly with the company are unsuccessful, you may want to seek assistance from your local Better Business Bureau.   Better Business Bureaus are private non-profit organizations which operate in part to help solve complaints by consumers against businesses, and which are supported largely by membership dues paid by business and professional groups in each Bureau’s service area.  To learn if there is a Bureau in your area or to file a complaint against a business, visit the Bureau’s website at www.bbb.org. Contact your Attorney General’s office of consumer affairs.
Attorneys General are the chief legal officers of the states, commonwealths, and territories of the United States. Attorneys General often represent the public interest by pursuing complaints against businesses who defraud or harm consumers.  Many Attorneys General now allow consumers to file complaints on-line.  To identify and contact your Attorney General, visit the National Association of Attorneys General at http://www.naag.org/about/ag.html.
Contact the Federal Trade Commission.
The Federal Trade Commission enforces a variety of federal antitrust and consumer protection laws. In general, the FTC’s efforts are directed toward stopping actions that threaten consumers’ opportunities to exercise informed choice.  The FTC does not resolve individual consumer problems, but its investigations of consumer complaints regarding businesses engaged in fraudulent or other illegal behavior can lead to law enforcement action.  The FTC also provides a variety of resources to educate consumers.  Learn more about the FTC at http://www.ftc.gov/.
File a lawsuit.
Depending on the nature and severity of the problem you’ve experienced, you may be able to sue the business for money damages or other relief.  Many states allow consumers to file lawsuits in small claims court without having to retain an attorney.  If you have to hire an attorney, many states also have special consumer protection laws which permit a consumer who wins his or her lawsuit to recover any attorneys fees reasonably incurred in securing the judgment from the losing business.  YOU MUST CONSULT THE LAW OF YOUR OWN STATE OR JURISDICTION IN ORDER TO DETERMINE WHAT YOUR LEGAL RIGHTS ARE.   If you need to speak to an attorney, contact your local attorney association (usually called a “bar association”) for a referral to an attorney in your area.  Most attorneys will provide an initial consultation for free, but be sure to confirm this with the attorney up front.
Do research and learn more about the issues.
The internet has greatly increased enhanced consumers’ access to information.  If you don’t own a computer, visit your public library to use one of its computers (and don’t be afraid to ask more questions if you need help!).  Information on any topic is usually no more than a few seconds away if you conduct a search on one of the major search engines, such as Google , Bing,Yahoo, Lycos, or Excite.

An excellent general resource for consumers is Consumer Reports, a monthly magazine published by Consumers Union, an independent, nonprofit testing and information organization. In addition to publishing the magazine, Consumers Union also maintains a fact-filled website at  .  Clicking on “Consumer Links” in the left column of the home page will lead you to an abundant number of links to consumer-related information.