The DC Attorney General's Office advises negotiating before complaining to the AG or suing:
Before you storm into the business and start shouting, sit down and figure out exactly what happened and what you want them to do about it. (Do you want a replacement product, an apology, a refund?)
Before you contact our office [the DC AG] for help, you should make an effort to solve the problem yourself.
Following the tips below can help you save time and hassles.
Submit a Consumer Complaint Form (click on the blue letters)
Before you storm into the business and start shouting, sit down and figure out exactly what happened and what you want them to do about it. (Do you want a replacement product, an apology, a refund?)
Before you contact our office [the DC AG] for help, you should make an effort to solve the problem yourself.
Following the tips below can help you save time and hassles.
- First let the business know you have a problem. Talk to the business owner, manager, main office or whoever is in charge.
- Be clear about your problem and ask the business to remedy the situation. Be specific about the action you want the business to take.
- If your issue is not resolved, follow up with a letter—that way you have a record of your request. Be sure to refer to your initial conversation in the letter.
- Keep copies of all correspondence. Also keep all original receipts, cancelled checks and credit card statements. If a business needs to see your documents, provide a copy—never an original.
- If you do not have records, start keeping them:
- Keep a copy of all letters and correspondence.
- Keep a log of all calls and conversations with the company and include the date and the time of the call, what was said and the name of the person with whom you spoke.
Submit a Consumer Complaint Form (click on the blue letters)