A complaint letter that gets an answer says four things: what went wrong, when it happened, what it cost you, and what you want done about it, by a date. Keep it to one page, stick to facts you can show, and stay polite and firm. The person reading it probably did not cause the problem, and they are the one who can fix it.
Nothing here is legal advice. If your complaint is about a contract, a tenancy, your job or money you are owed, check your contract or the rules where you live, because they decide what you can ask for and how.
Before you write
- Collect the facts. Dates, order or account numbers, the names of people you spoke to, and what each of them said.
- Collect the proof. Receipts, photos, screenshots, earlier emails. You will send copies and keep the originals.
- Decide what you want. A refund, a repair, a replacement, an apology, a bill corrected, a change in how something is done. Pick one main thing. A letter that asks for nothing gets a reply that offers nothing.
- Find the right address. Many organisations have a complaints procedure, often on their website or in your contract. Use it, because a complaint sent to the wrong place can sit unread.
The structure of a complaint letter
- A subject line that names the problem. Include the order, account or booking number so they can find you.
- What happened, in order. Short sentences with dates. The facts do the work, so you need no adjectives.
- The effect on you. One or two sentences: what it cost you in money, time or trouble.
- What you have already done. Calls, visits, earlier emails, and what came of them.
- What you want. One clear request.
- A date for a reply. Give a reasonable one and say it plainly.
- What is attached. List the copies you are sending.
Then your name and how to reach you.
Examples
The details are made up. Swap in your own, and check every date and number against your records.
A faulty product
Subject: Complaint about order 48213, faulty kettle
Dear Customer Services,
On 2 March I bought a Harlow kettle from your website, order 48213. It arrived on 5 March. On 14 March it stopped heating. The light comes on and nothing else happens.
I phoned your helpline on 15 March and was told someone would call back within two days. Nobody has.
I would like a replacement or a full refund. Please let me know by 2 April which it will be and how to return the kettle.
I attach the order confirmation and a photo of the kettle.
Yours faithfully,
Helen Marsh
A wrong bill
Subject: Account 7730195, charged after cancelling
Dear Sir or Madam,
I cancelled my broadband with you on 31 January and have your email confirming it. You have taken a monthly payment from my bank account in February and again in March.
Please refund both payments and confirm in writing that the account is closed and nothing more will be taken. I would like a reply by 10 April.
Copies of your cancellation email and both bank statement entries are attached.
Yours faithfully,
Tomasz Nowak
To a landlord about a repair
Dear Mr Ellery,
I am writing about the leak in the bathroom ceiling at Flat 4, 19 Cray Road. I reported it to you by phone on 8 September and by text on 15 September. It has not been looked at.
The leak has grown. The ceiling is now stained across about a metre, and water drips into the bath when the flat above runs a shower. Photos from today are attached.
Please arrange for someone to inspect and repair it, and tell me by 2 October when they will come. I am at home on weekdays after 4pm and can give access at other times with a day's warning.
Yours sincerely,
Amara Osei
At work
A complaint at work usually has its own procedure, so read your handbook first and follow it.
Dear Ms Whitlow,
I would like to raise a concern about the rota. In the last four weeks my shifts have been changed three times with less than a day's warning: on 3, 11 and 24 September. Each time I found out from the group chat, not from my supervisor.
I have childcare to arrange, and I missed one shift because I saw the change too late. I raised it with Dean on 12 September and nothing changed.
I would like changes to my shifts to be sent to me directly, with as much warning as the rest of the team gets. Could we meet this week to talk about it?
Kind regards,
Joy Adeyemi
Firm, not angry
A plain fact is harder to argue with than a strong word.
| Instead of | Write |
|---|---|
| This is an absolute disgrace. | The kettle stopped working nine days after it arrived. |
| Your staff are useless. | I was told I would be called back within two days. Nobody called. |
| Sort this out immediately or else. | Please reply by 2 April. |
| I want compensation. | I would like the delivery charge refunded. |
What to avoid
- More than one complaint in a letter. Two problems get two letters. A long list lets them answer the easy item and ignore the rest.
- Threats you will not carry out. If you say you will take it further, say where, and mean it.
- Guessing at motives. "You clearly don't care" cannot be proved. "Nobody called back" can.
- Exaggeration. One inflated detail makes the reader doubt the true ones.
- Sending originals. Send copies and keep everything, including a copy of the letter and a note of the date you sent it.
If nobody answers
Wait until the date you gave, then write again. Three lines will do: refer to your first letter by date and attach a copy, say you have had no reply, repeat what you want, and give a new, shorter date. Send it to a manager or the head office if you can find one. There is more wording in how to write a follow-up email.
If that fails, there may be somewhere else to take it: an ombudsman, a regulator, a trade body, a tenants' or consumer advice service. Which one, and what it can do, depends on where you live and what the complaint is about.
If you are the one receiving complaints, see how to reply to an angry email.
Writing it with Hemmingway
The complaint letter generator is a short form. Tell it who the letter is to, what happened with the dates, and what you want done, and Hemmingway writes the letter from those facts. It works from what you give it, so give it the real dates and numbers and leave nothing for it to fill in.
It is most useful when you are angry. You put down what happened in whatever words come, and it gives you one calm, firm letter, not three options. Then read it against your records. Check every date, number and name, take out anything you did not say, and send it yourself. There is a free trial with no card needed.
Hemmingway can be wrong and sound sure, and it is not for legal decisions. It can help with the wording, not with what you are entitled to.
Try HemmingwayDownload the app
Common questions
How do you start a complaint letter?
Start with a subject line that names the problem and your order or account number, then say what happened in the first sentence: "On 2 March I bought a kettle from your website, and on 14 March it stopped working." Leave out warm-up lines and how you feel.
What should a complaint letter include?
What went wrong, the dates, any order or account number, what you have already done about it, what you want, and a date for a reply. Attach copies of receipts, photos or earlier emails and list them at the end. Keep the originals.
How long should a complaint letter be?
One page, or about 150 to 250 words. That is long enough to set out the facts in order. If the story is complicated, put a short timeline in the letter and the detail in an attachment.
Should I send a complaint by email or by post?
Many organisations accept email, and it gives you a dated record. For a serious complaint, a posted letter with proof of delivery shows it arrived. Check whether your contract or the organisation's complaints procedure says how it must be sent.
What do I do if my complaint is ignored?
Write again after the date you gave, refer to your first letter, and send it to a manager or head office. If that gets nowhere, an ombudsman, regulator or advice service may be able to help, depending on where you live and what the complaint is about.