File a Consumer Complaint (2024)

FAQs

Is it worth filing a complaint to CFPB? ›

Every complaint helps us in our work to supervise companies, enforce federal consumer financial laws, and write better rules and regulations. You speaking up gives us important insight into the issues you face as a consumer, so thank you!

The first step in resolving a consumer problem is to contact the business that sold the product or performed the service. A letter to the manager can be the most effective method. The letter should clearly outline the product purchased, explain the problem and state the resolution you're seeking.

We have supervisory authority over banks, thrifts, and credit unions with assets over $10 billion, as well as their affiliates.

By statute, a primary function of the CFPB is to collect, investigate and respond to consumer complaints.

If we can't send your complaint to the company for response, we'll send it to another federal agency and let you know. Consistent with applicable law, we share your complaint with certain state and federal agencies to, among other things, facilitate: supervision of companies, enforcement activities, and.

As the nation's consumer protection agency, the FTC takes reports about scammers that cheat people out of money and businesses that don't make good on their promises. We share these reports with our law enforcement partners and use them to investigate fraud and eliminate unfair business practices.

Commonly used salutations when ending a letter of complaint include Yours sincerely or Sincerely. If you're responding to a complaint, you may choose to use a complimentary close to demonstrate sincerity, such as Sincerest apologies or Best regards.

How do you start a complaint reply? ›

Tell the customer in positive, specific terms what you've already done or what you intend to do. Answer questions directly and include helpful resources. Let the customer know you're there for them if needed. When appropriate, offer the customer something of value.

File a complaint with government or consumer programs

File a complaint with your local consumer protection office. Notify the Better Business Bureau (BBB) in your area about your problem. The BBB tries to resolve complaints against companies. If you think you may have experienced a scam, report it to the FTC.

Start With An Apology

Whether you're dealing with an online or in-store complaint, start off with an apology for the inconvenience caused followed by reassurance that you'll make things right. Customers complain because they've had a poor experience with the solutions you offer, which may cause them to be frustrated.

The CFPB helps ensure the financial market is a level playing field by cracking down on bad financial actors that engage in unfair, deceptive, abusive, and discriminatory practices that harm consumers.

Having a problem with a financial product or service? We help consumers connect with financial companies to understand issues, fix errors, and get direct responses about problems. Tell us about your issue—we'll forward it to the company and work to get you a response, generally within 15 days.

However, it has 45 days to investigate if you dispute after receiving your free annual credit report. Also, if you submit additional information relevant to your dispute during the 30-day investigation period, it can extend the investigation period for 15 additional days.

Specifically, the bureau must award compensation to whistleblowers for 10%-30% of the collected penalties.