Everyone has complaints. Whether it be with the quality of service you received or dissatisfaction with a businessâs policy, there are ways to express your concerns to maximize success. If you have an issue with a particular business, here are some tips on how to make an effective complaint.
The first step
Try to resolve the problem with the business first. If the business has complaints or customer service department, try going there to voice your concerns. Explain why you are not satisfied and give the business a chance to fix the problem. Be polite and firm, but not threatening.
If the problem persists
If the problem is not resolved, try writing a letter to the businessâs manager or a supervisor. Clearly state your complaint and explain what you feel a fair resolution would be. Sometimes using a timeline is a great way to outline your complaint. Make sure you include a timeframe as to when you expect a reply. Be reasonable.
Remember, it is important to keep all receipts, contracts, written letters and responses. This may help if you need to escalate the matter to a lawyer or to small claims court. Also, be proactive. Contact the business once you become dissatisfied so that you resolve the situation in a timely manner. Many businesses have policies that are time sensitive.
ADDITIONAL READING:
What is a âquality of serviceâ issue and what can you do about it?
Resolving small claims strata disputes online: what to expect from the CRT
How to write a letter to your MLA
I found out when trying to cancel my TD Merchant Service that I have a 3 year contract with them. Origionally it was 1 year and then year to year. They sent a letter in 2009 (which I don’t remeber seeing) that they were making it a 3 year contract (not signiture or proof I received the letter) and that it was my responsibility to contact them if I didn’t want this. Now they want to charge me a cancellation fee or a monthly fee until May 19, 2013. Is this legal? Can they change a contract without your knowledge? They said since I received statements then the address is correct and I must have received it. I don’t think so.
Can I do anything about this?
What do i need to do. I have a fraudulent collections on my credit report by a fraudulent company with horrible reviews as being a fraud (CBCC) claiming to be collecting on behalf of Fraser Health. I contacted all of Fraser Health, billing, accounts receivable and they stated I do not owe them nor have I ever owed them any money and that it appears to be fraud. I asked them to verify this in writing via email. What can I do? I contacted equifax and am on hold. How can any crap company do this to ppl? Disgusting. I want to sue them.
Hi P! we don’t have the ability to tell you whether or not a debt is legitimate or not. If you don’t believe you owe the debt, you have the right to dispute it. This means you are asking to have the debt taken to court for resolution. Visit this page on our website for info on how to do that, including the proper forms to use: https://www.consumerprotectionbc.ca/consumer-help/debt-collection/
This in regards to a business in Kelowna named Oak and Pearl ( womenâs clothing).
In December I ordered a dress from them ( Order number 40837) which cost $146.51.
I have not received the dress and they just keep telling me itâs coming. At the end of January I started requesting that they return my money many times and they just keep telling me to be patient. Iâm tired of waiting and want to know if this another scam.
Hi Carol, if you order did not arrive within 30 days of the expected delivery date (or 30 days from the date of purchase if there was no delivery date), you can cancel your contract and request a refund. We have steps and official forms for you to use available here: https://www.consumerprotectionbc.ca/2020/09/how-to-get-a-refund-if-your-online-order-never-arrives/
This is in regards to a moving company in Richmond, BC, address: 240-11181 Voyageur Way, Richmond BC V6X 3N9, phone (604)-710-8312. The company’s name is “HAPPY MOVE”. I ordered moving services with them (the boss’s name is Ge Wang) on June 20th for the price of $2500 to move items from Port Coquitlam, BC, Canada to Seattle, WA, US. They promised an 18-inch U-HAUL; however, on June 19th, they only sent a small 16-inch truck. We said the truck was too small to store all the items, but they promised it could. However, it could not. They even asked me to throw away all the items that could not fit into the truck. After arguing with them, they sent another small pickup to take the remaining items. However, they dumped the garbage from the pickup near my garage.
On the same day, they asked me to pay the moving fee in full. We refused since we didn’t see the service completed. After arguing, we paid $1000 as the deposit since everything was on the truck and the pickup, and the truck had already left. When arriving at the destination on June 20th, they refused to unload the items unless we paid the remaining $1500 first. We didn’t agree since the service was not completed and we hadn’t seen the items to ensure they were undamaged. We insisted on unloading first and paying the remaining amount if no significant damage was observed. They threatened to leave without unloading and increased the price to $3000 instantly when we said we would call the police. The boss (Ge Wang) sent text messages saying the police could not help with this and even threatened to take all my stuff back to Canada. After a 1-hour argument, they agreed to unload all the items after I paid the remaining amount first. From the beginning to the end, they didn’t give us a paper-based official service order; we only have evidence in text messages and WeChat history. They said they don’t have a paper agreement and only want cash.
This is the whole story. The entire argument process with them was very tough and exhausting, and if we had not insisted, we could have paid $500 more and lost some of our items. We are very angry and want to report this company officially here. We checked online for this company after moving, and it said this company has been blacklisted; however, this is not enough to prevent future customers from having a bad business experience with them. The blacklist is not enough or doesn’t work. As consumers and taxpayers, we need more protection from this kind of company. I want to see official penalties and actions taken against them to prevent other customers from having the same experience in the future. Please contact me if need more information about the text message or wechat history and I will keep checking this if it is can not handled properly.
Hi Cherie, if you would like to submit a complaint so we can review it to see if our laws apply, can do that here: https://www.consumerprotectionbc.ca/complaint-assistant/