Complaint Letter for Bad Product or Service | 5 Free Samples

Businesses are always looking to satisfy their buyers with quality products and services. However, you may have experienced bad service or damaged products as a consumer. After spending money to access that product or service, finding it out as wrong can be very aggravating. In most cases, you may want to speak to the seller and express your dissatisfaction maliciously.

You do not have to ruin your business relationship with the seller for an error that was most likely unintentional.

The best way to resolve such a situation is by writing a complaint letter for bad product or service.

With this letter, you can express your dissatisfaction respectfully. If properly written, the seller will likely notice your complaint and resolve the matter quickly to ensure that they retain you as their buyer.

Whether defective, faulty, or poor quality, expressing your issue about that service or product using this complaint letter is effective. Remember, the letter aims to highlight that the product or service you received was terrible and suggest how you need the matter to be resolved. That is why you should use this article to learn how to write this letter and the tips you need to observe.

Factors to Consider Before Writing a Complaint Letter

It would be best to consider factors before writing a complaint letter for that bad service or product you purchased. Below are some of those factors:

Show urgency and disappointment

The complaint letter should show your urgency and disappointment in the low-quality product or service you purchased/availed. Ensure that you use solid but respectful language to express your issue. Even though you are dissatisfied, being polite will likely increase the speed at which the seller responds and resolves your issue.

Review the refund or exchange policy

Before writing the complaint letter, you must review the company’s refund or exchange policy. You will likely find policies that provide solutions to the bad product or service you received. Identifying the policies the company has regarding refunds or exchanges will help you to write your complaint letter in a better manner. It will not be beneficial to ask for a refund when the company or business does not have a refund policy.

Gather proof of purchase

The company will most likely require proof of purchase from you. Therefore, you must gather your receipts and invoices before writing a complaint letter for a bad product or service. With such evidence, a company is more likely to believe you; hence, try to fix the problem. Also, proof of purchase protects you from sellers who may suggest that you did not buy anything from them.

In case you paid using cash, it can be difficult to prove that you made the purchase. The best way to handle this is by attaching photographs of the product to prove that there is no physical damage to it.

Some of the information that you must include in this complaint letter include the following:

Provide basic information

Ensure you start your letter by providing your basic information, which is as shown below:

• Your name, address, and phone number
• Your account number
• Product name and serial/model number
• Date and place of purchase

You should also correctly include the details of the person you are addressing in your complaint letter.

For example:

Sheila Peters
456 UG, Avenue Highway
333-333-3333
Account number: 543012

19^th June 2022

Adam Samuel
Customer Relations Director
Evergreen Electronics
769 KE, Adventure Street

RE: DAMAGED FRIDGE

Tell the story

After providing these basic details, you should go ahead and tell the story about your bad service or product.

• Explain the problem: Mention the problem or defect you experienced while using the product or accessing a service and how it has affected you.
• History of your efforts to resolve the problem: Proceed to highlight your efforts to try and resolve the issue before you wrote the letter.

For example:

I bought a galaxy double-door twin fridge, serial 123456-90, from Evergreen Electronic on 16^th May 2022. I paid $750 for the fridge using my credit card and another $25 for delivery. From your electronics shop at Adventure Street, where I made the purchase, to my home, the fridge arrived on 23^rd May 2022.

After setting up and installing the fridge as per the manual, within a week, I realized that the freezer was not getting cold enough even when I adjusted the settings. My perishables were spoiling too quickly, so I sought help. I contacted Evergreen Electronics as soon as possible, and I was advised to visit your shop on 2^nd June 2022. The floor manager, Mr. Eric Johnson, took my details and handed me a form to fill in my complaints. He mentioned that I would be contacted within 3 to 7 days and the problem would be fixed.

State how you want to fix the situation/problem

The next part of your complaint letter should include details of how you want the problem or situation you described to be resolved. You will achieve that by using the following points:

• Refund, repair, exchange, or store credit: Inform the seller how you want to deal with the bad product or service. Then, usually based on their policies, you can ask for a refund, repair, exchange, or credit store.
• List the documents you’re enclosing: Ensure that you include all the necessary documents that will prove that you purchased the particular service or product. This can include listing documents such as invoices and receipts.
• Tell them how to reach you: Ensure that you provide them with your contact details to make it easier for them to reach out to you with a solution. This can include your phone number or email address.
• Allow time to take action:Finally, ensure that you indicate a timeline or a date that gives your seller time to take the necessary action and fix the lousy problem or service.

For example,

I waited for a few days, and no communication was made. Finally, I contacted again on 11th June 2022 and received the same response. So I am writing this letter to get a solution to my electronic problem. I would appreciate it if the company made contact with me, on my email address [email protected] or my phone number provided above, to either repair my fridge or exchange it with a proper functioning fridge.

Attached are the receipts, delivery invoice, pictures of the damaged fridge, and copies of the forms I filled out when I visited your shop. I look forward to my problem being fixed by 3^rd July. However, if that is not the case, I will have to file a claim with the consumer office, as per your policy, and demand a refund and customer damages for the delayed resolution.

End on a positive note

Your focus is to maintain a positive relationship with the seller to ensure that your issue is resolved quickly.

For example,

I have not done anything that would damage the fridge. I want this problem to be resolved to maintain our working business relationship. I appreciate you for taking the time to listen to my complaint.

Signature

As you would do in any other official letter, ensure you sign your letter and include your signature at the end.

For example,

Sincerely,
(Signature)

Here are some tips you should consider when writing a complaint letter for a bad product or low-quality service:

Address the letter to a real person

The best way to write your complaint letter is to address it to a real person instead of a department or company. You can either call the company or check on their website to find out the details of the person who can help you with your bad product or service and to register your complaint. It is way easier to get a response if you address the letter to an actual person.

Be honest and straightforward

In your complaint letter, ensure that you are honest and straightforward about the issue you need to be resolved. Ensure that your language is clear, contains vivid explanations with proof, and does not contain subjective opinions. Failing to provide enough details to back up your claim will present you as an amateur who has not conducted proper research. Also, being dishonest in your letter may worsen your situation.

Maintain a firm but respectful tone

As much as the bad product or service aggravates you, it is crucial to maintain a firm but respectful tone when explaining yourself. Your tone must always remain professional in a way that motivates the recipient to assist you with your problem. Also, being respectful ensures that you will continue to have a professional relationship with your seller.

Avoid aggressive and accusing language

Since the person receiving your letter may not be directly associated with the bad service or product you purchased, using aggressive and accusing language in your complaint letter is not advisable. Instead, ensure that you remain polite and use a calm tone.

Do not threaten

It is important to avoid including threats in your complaint letter. Threatening the seller might prolong the case and delay any chances of your issue being resolved. If there is an action you want to take, such as filing a claim, ensure you have enough proof and resources to proceed with the matter. This is because such threats might affect you if your case is not strong enough.

At times, threats such as filing a claim without a strong case, asking for higher than expected compensation, or undertaking expensive actions may make the other party think you are not severe. If they think you are bluffing, they will likely ignore your complaints. Therefore, it is essential only to take action if it is worth the trouble.   

Be persistent

To ensure there is a solution to the wrong product or service, ensure that you are persistent. For example, you should write another letter if your first complaint letter does not trigger any actions. You can even reach out and address the company’s CEO if nothing changes.

If you purchase a product or service from a business and find out that it is terrible, there is a way for you to raise the issue and find a solution to your situation. The best approach is to write a complaint letter to your seller about a bad product or service. In the letter, you will be able to highlight your issue and offer ideas of how you wish for the problem to be solved.

As the buyer, approaching your seller in a threatening and aggravating manner will not help your case. The best way is to identify the party who can help you and prepare a proper, truthful, clear, and straightforward letter. Ensure that you remain professional by using the right tone. Observing the proper etiquette and including the required content is a sure way to prepare a compelling, compliant letter for a bad product or service.