Create a bespoke document in minutes, or upload and review your own.
Get your first 2 documents free
Your data doesn't train Genie's AI
You keep IP ownership of your information
Complaint Letter
"I need a complaint letter addressing poor customer service received at a retail store, requesting a formal apology and a refund of £50 for a defective product. The letter should be polite yet firm, and include specific details of the incident."
What is a Complaint Letter?
A Complaint Letter formally documents your dissatisfaction with a product, service, or treatment you've received. It's your written record of what went wrong, when it happened, and how you'd like the issue resolved - essential for both consumer rights protection and business relationships in England and Wales.
Under UK consumer law, sending a clear Complaint Letter often serves as the first step in dispute resolution. It creates a paper trail, helps you qualify for legal remedies, and can strengthen your position if you later need to escalate to bodies like the Financial Ombudsman Service or small claims court. Good letters stick to facts, include relevant details like order numbers or dates, and clearly state your desired outcome.
When should you use a Complaint Letter?
Send a Complaint Letter when a company, service provider, or professional has failed to meet their obligations or provided substandard goods or services. Common triggers include faulty products, poor customer service, billing errors, or professional misconduct - especially when initial phone calls or emails haven't resolved the issue.
The timing matters: in England and Wales, write your Complaint Letter as soon as possible after the problem occurs. This helps preserve your consumer rights, meets statutory deadlines for certain claims, and gives businesses their required opportunity to put things right before you escalate to regulators or courts. Many sectors, like financial services and healthcare, have specific complaint procedures that start with a formal letter.
What are the different types of Complaint Letter?
- Complaint Letter About A Manager: Formal workplace complaint addressing managerial misconduct or unfair treatment, typically used in internal grievance procedures.
- Letter Of Complaint Of Poor Service: Consumer-focused letter detailing substandard service from businesses or contractors.
- Letter Of Complaint Response: Business reply acknowledging and addressing customer complaints, outlining solutions or compensation.
- Bad Service Complaint Letter: Detailed consumer complaint specifically highlighting service failures and requesting specific remedies.
- Grievance Letter Against Manager: Employment-focused complaint following formal workplace grievance procedures under UK employment law.
Who should typically use a Complaint Letter?
- Consumers and Customers: Draft Complaint Letters to address issues with products, services, or treatment received from businesses and organizations.
- Business Owners: Receive and respond to complaints, often through customer service or legal departments, with a duty to address issues under consumer protection laws.
- Employees: Write formal complaints about workplace issues, following internal grievance procedures and employment law requirements.
- Customer Service Teams: Handle incoming Complaint Letters and coordinate responses with relevant departments.
- Legal Representatives: Draft or review complaints on behalf of clients, especially for complex issues or when legal action may follow.
How do you write a Complaint Letter?
- Gather Evidence: Collect relevant dates, receipts, order numbers, photos of defects, and records of previous communication attempts.
- Document Timeline: Note when issues occurred and any key interactions or attempts to resolve the problem.
- Check Requirements: Review company complaint procedures or industry-specific guidelines that might affect your letter's format.
- Draft Structure: Our platform helps organize your complaint into clear sections - introduction, problem description, attempted solutions, and desired outcome.
- Contact Details: Include your full contact information and any relevant account or reference numbers.
- Tone Check: Keep language professional and factual, avoiding emotional or threatening statements.
What should be included in a Complaint Letter?
- Header Information: Your full name, address, contact details, and the date of writing.
- Recipient Details: Company name, relevant department, full address, and any reference numbers.
- Clear Subject Line: Brief description identifying the nature of the complaint.
- Incident Details: Specific dates, times, and locations of the issue or problem.
- Evidence Reference: List of attached supporting documents, photos, or correspondence.
- Desired Outcome: Clear statement of what resolution you seek.
- Response Timeline: Reasonable deadline for expected reply (typically 14-28 days).
- Signature Block: Your handwritten or typed signature with printed name below.
What's the difference between a Complaint Letter and a Demand Letter?
A Complaint Letter often gets confused with a Demand Letter, but they serve different purposes in resolving disputes. While both documents express dissatisfaction, their tone, legal implications, and typical outcomes differ significantly.
- Legal Intent: Complaint Letters primarily seek resolution or improvement of service, while Demand Letters specifically request payment or specific actions under threat of legal action.
- Tone and Approach: Complaint Letters maintain a more collaborative tone aimed at problem-solving, whereas Demand Letters carry explicit legal warnings and deadlines.
- Timing: Complaint Letters often serve as an initial step in dispute resolution, while Demand Letters typically come after failed attempts at informal resolution.
- Follow-up Process: Complaint Letters usually trigger internal review procedures or customer service responses, while Demand Letters often precede court proceedings or formal legal action.
Download our whitepaper on the future of AI in Legal
³Ò±ð²Ô¾±±ð’s Security Promise
Genie is the safest place to draft. Here’s how we prioritise your privacy and security.
Your documents are private:
We do not train on your data; ³Ò±ð²Ô¾±±ð’s AI improves independently
All data stored on Genie is private to your organisation
Your documents are protected:
Your documents are protected by ultra-secure 256-bit encryption
Our bank-grade security infrastructure undergoes regular external audits
We are ISO27001 certified, so your data is secure
Organizational security
You retain IP ownership of your documents
You have full control over your data and who gets to see it
Innovation in privacy:
Genie partnered with the Computational Privacy Department at Imperial College London
Together, we ran a £1 million research project on privacy and anonymity in legal contracts
Want to know more?
Visit our for more details and real-time security updates.
Read our Privacy Policy.