Complaint Letter Successes

Happy_shopper

bloomin_freezing wrote:

Writing to companies to complain/compliment is all well and good when you have a genuine reason to and i'm definately in for getting in touch with them (especially if you can get something back in return, even if it is just what you had originally spent). Take note of this though all of you who make up complaints to personal gain....there is a website (don't know the name) that lists people who complain that other companies can look at, and if your name appears on it quite a lot they know what you're up to. Doubt you'll end up with a prison sentence or anything but they may take some action.

That sounds scary! :eek: Also unfair on the people who have genuinely had bad products or service lots of times...Seems like they will be penalised for not taking any !!!!!! and standing up for their rights...

mistresslenore

No - but the title needs to change

bloomin_freezing wrote:

Writing to companies to complain/compliment is all well and good when you have a genuine reason to and i'm definately in for getting in touch with them (especially if you can get something back in return, even if it is just what you had originally spent). Take note of this though all of you who make up complaints to personal gain....there is a website (don't know the name) that lists people who complain that other companies can look at, and if your name appears on it quite a lot they know what you're up to. Doubt you'll end up with a prison sentence or anything but they may take some action.

Although I fully agree that making up complaints for personal gain is wrong and should be punishable as fraud I doubt that this website actually exists.

jenijellybean

bloomin_freezing wrote:

Writing to companies to complain/compliment is all well and good when you have a genuine reason to and i'm definately in for getting in touch with them (especially if you can get something back in return, even if it is just what you had originally spent). Take note of this though all of you who make up complaints to personal gain....there is a website (don't know the name) that lists people who complain that other companies can look at, and if your name appears on it quite a lot they know what you're up to. Doubt you'll end up with a prison sentence or anything but they may take some action.

I'm sure there would be legal complications? Would companies really divulge customer details? How do you know it exists (but don't know the webname?). Maybe you have been told about this phantom website to scare you off??!!

bloomin_freezing

I know of this website as the company my mum works for uses it.

I've better things to do with my time than sit here making things up for the benefit of other people that think they actually know better.

bloomin_freezing

I thought the whole point of these forums were for people to help and advise others, not for them to then be belittled. Anyway, as I said i've better things to be doing.

Ciao

ella2002

Well I think if you have agenuine complaint still complain

bloomin_freezing

of course, there's nothing wrong with a genuine complaint, and that's the only sort of complaing I'd do. But all i was saying is that some poeple make up complaints...

Chocmonster7

Sounds to me bloomin freezing that if you know the details of this website then you should name it. After all causing people to be worried is not exactly helping them.

carl_east

No

I've had huge success with complaint letters and phone calls. Most of them being phone calls but I have managed to get almost every bank charge that I've ever had taken off by just picking up the phone.

Letter wise I've had a lot of success this year. But these were all genuine complaints and not made up stuff to get free stuff.

Telewest - Called to ask if a Man Utd Champions League game was on tv one night earlier this year. I pointed out that CL games are sometimes on obscure radio channels just for the one night. I got told that it wasn't on so I got them to check with a manager. I got told by them that it wasn't being shown. I later found out that it was on some really stupid obscure radio channel. I wrote and complained and they credited my account with £25.

British Gas - I had British Gas salesman round at my door earlier this year and I eventually proved to him that British Gas couldn't beat my current price. Three months later I get a letter from my supplier saying that they are sorry that I'm leaving. I tried in vain to speak to someone at British Gas who could sort it all and eventually got my supplier to sort it. I wrote to BG and complained. They sent me a cheque for £25.

Insurance - I accidentally damaged my tv but it was covered by insurance on my credit card that I paid with. The tv repair company that tried to fix it messed up and it wasn't fixed. They tried again and it still wasn't fixed. They later admitted that they didn't have the necessary equipment to test the HDMI output that was damaged. It went nuts. Two months they messed me about. So I demanded that I choose who fixes it. The new repair company spent an hour looking at it and wrote it off because they were unable to source the parts. My insurance company initially said they would replace my tv but then started to investigate things. They then claimed that the tv was fixable and that it needed to be sent back to the original repair company. No way I said. Once the 16 week mark came I threatened then with legal action for taking so long and demanded a new tv and compensation. They gave me £280 plus a much better tv. I was then also allowed to upgrade at cost price to an even better tv.

I have had a lot of experience with writing complaint letters and it is always worth it. You need to be concise and clear and not overly aggressive towards them. Threatening them with a lawsuit in the first letter is a big no no unless they have really done something bad like if you find a finger in a bag of crisps. Anything less and you should take the rational but well thought out approach. Tell them about lost time and effort as well as any money that you've had to spend like making phone calls or travelling places. Don't ask for a particular amount of money. Just ask them for compensation. Once they have offered you compensation then you can negotiate. And don't be afraid to decline their offer and ask for more. It is very unlikely that they will withdraw their initial offer so you can always fall back on that. Most of all, make sure that the level of emotion used in the letter is backed up with enough evidence to show why you are that upset. Reasons and evidence of caused aggravation are what get you compensation.

peeqwar

No

Many years ago when I was a student (and had a lot of time on my hands) for a laugh I wrote to Andrex complaining in graphic detail about toilet paper failure. They wrote back thanking me for my 'delightfully direct letter' and sent gave me vouchers for 25 free loo rolls.