5 ms·

Can you give an example of something that was resolved for you by this? I can send a letter if it will do something but I can't convince 10% of the population

Can you give an example of something that was resolved for you by this? I can send a letter if it will do something but I can't convince 10% of the population to send a letter. I've sent messages to government offices and never got anything but a canned response and no action.

thwayunion 4y ago
A fee for parking in a private lot during a period when they weren't supposed to be charging fees (free holiday parking sponsored by the local shops). Verizon bill for unreturned equipment (didn't ask for it, told them I was leaving it on my doorstep and not taking delivery, it disappeared, heard back a year later with a fee). TMobile bill. An incorrect water bill. A car dealership lying to me. Issues with one of those "order for ipad" airport places mentioned in the article (same issue: never received my food). Medical bill from an urgent care for some trivial thing that they told me they wouldn't charge me for. Some interest on a student loan that accrued because their billing system messed up. A bunch of other stuff I'm not remembering. I always just send a written letter and if I don't get a check in 30 days go to the AG. Works every time. Fixing their petty crime is not my problem.
- throwanem 4y ago
  Is there some kind of state-by-state explainer that describes the process, what the letter has to include, etc?
  - thwayunion 4y ago
    Here's my form letter: Dear _, I am writing regarding [describe problem]. The appropriate resolution to this issue is [describe solution]. [Usually the solution is cash; if it is cash:] You may credit this to the form of payment you have on file, or by sending me a check at [address]. If you have any questions, you may call me at [phone number] at [time when I'm always free on a weekday during working hours in all us timezones]. I will contact my AG's office if I do not hear back from you in 30 days. Thanks, [Name] Mail it. All state AG offices have a form for consumer complaints on their website. Usually it's very easy to find. Don't overthink it. Mention the letter in your AG complaint, include a copy and the date that you sent it. They will contact the business and start a resolution process. Usually you'll hear back in a week or so.
    - dredmorbius 4y ago
      Excellent and useful, thanks.
  - dredmorbius 4y ago
    AFAIK, every state's attorney general's office will have an online site and/or form for filing complaint(s), as well as a postal address you can use. You can free-form your own letter, though that might delay things somewhat from the AG's office, though the business / countereparty will typically get on their game quickly. DDG "consumer complaint" + <YOUR_STATE_HERE> should work. E.g., top ten states by population, covering over half the US population, first result is the corresponding state's AG consumer affairs office: CA: <https://duckduckgo.com/?q=consumert+complain+california https://duckduckgo.com/?q=consumert+complain+california> gives <https://www.dca.ca.gov/consumers/complaints/index.shtml https://www.dca.ca.gov/consumers/complaints/index.shtml> TX: <https://duckduckgo.com/?q=consumer+complaint+texas https://duckduckgo.com/?q=consumer+complaint+texas> <https://www.texasattorneygeneral.gov/consumer-protection https://www.texasattorneygeneral.gov/consumer-protection> FL: <https://duckduckgo.com/?q=consumer+complaint+florida https://duckduckgo.com/?q=consumer+complaint+florida> <https://www.stateofflorida.com/consumer-complaints/ https://www.stateofflorida.com/consumer-complaints/> NY: <https://duckduckgo.com/?q=consumer+complaint+new+york https://duckduckgo.com/?q=consumer+complaint+new+york> <https://dos.ny.gov/file-consumer-complaint https://dos.ny.gov/file-consumer-complaint> PA: <https://duckduckgo.com/?q=consumer+complaint+pennsylvania https://duckduckgo.com/?q=consumer+complaint+pennsylvania> <https://www.attorneygeneral.gov/submit-a-complaint/consumer-complaint/ https://www.attorneygeneral.gov/submit-a-complaint/consumer-...> IL: <https://duckduckgo.com/?q=consumer+complaint+illinois https://duckduckgo.com/?q=consumer+complaint+illinois> <http://www.illinoisattorneygeneral.gov/consumers/filecomplaint.html http://www.illinoisattorneygeneral.gov/consumers/filecomplai...> OH: <https://duckduckgo.com/?q=consumer+complaint+ohio https://duckduckgo.com/?q=consumer+complaint+ohio> <https://www.ohioattorneygeneral.gov/Individuals-and-Families/Consumers/File-A-Complaint.aspx https://www.ohioattorneygeneral.gov/Individuals-and-Families...> GA: <https://duckduckgo.com/?q=consumer+complaint+georgia https://duckduckgo.com/?q=consumer+complaint+georgia> <https://consumer.georgia.gov/ https://consumer.georgia.gov/> NC: <https://duckduckgo.com/?q=consumer+complaint+north+carolina https://duckduckgo.com/?q=consumer+complaint+north+carolina> <https://ncdoj.gov/file-a-complaint/consumer-complaint/ https://ncdoj.gov/file-a-complaint/consumer-complaint/> MI: <https://duckduckgo.com/?q=consumer+complaint+michigan https://duckduckgo.com/?q=consumer+complaint+michigan> <https://www.michigan.gov/ag/complaints https://www.michigan.gov/ag/complaints>
- deleted 4y ago
  [deleted]
- BigRedDog1669 4y ago
  Cool, thanks for detailing that. I didn't know you could do that.

thwayunion 4y ago

A fee for parking in a private lot during a period when they weren't supposed to be charging fees (free holiday parking sponsored by the local shops). Verizon bill for unreturned equipment (didn't ask for it, told them I was leaving it on my doorstep and not taking delivery, it disappeared, heard back a year later with a fee). TMobile bill. An incorrect water bill. A car dealership lying to me. Issues with one of those "order for ipad" airport places mentioned in the article (same issue: never received my food). Medical bill from an urgent care for some trivial thing that they told me they wouldn't charge me for. Some interest on a student loan that accrued because their billing system messed up. A bunch of other stuff I'm not remembering. I always just send a written letter and if I don't get a check in 30 days go to the AG. Works every time. Fixing their petty crime is not my problem.

throwanem 4y ago
Is there some kind of state-by-state explainer that describes the process, what the letter has to include, etc?
- thwayunion 4y ago
  Here's my form letter: Dear _, I am writing regarding [describe problem]. The appropriate resolution to this issue is [describe solution]. [Usually the solution is cash; if it is cash:] You may credit this to the form of payment you have on file, or by sending me a check at [address]. If you have any questions, you may call me at [phone number] at [time when I'm always free on a weekday during working hours in all us timezones]. I will contact my AG's office if I do not hear back from you in 30 days. Thanks, [Name] Mail it. All state AG offices have a form for consumer complaints on their website. Usually it's very easy to find. Don't overthink it. Mention the letter in your AG complaint, include a copy and the date that you sent it. They will contact the business and start a resolution process. Usually you'll hear back in a week or so.
  - dredmorbius 4y ago
    Excellent and useful, thanks.
- dredmorbius 4y ago
  AFAIK, every state's attorney general's office will have an online site and/or form for filing complaint(s), as well as a postal address you can use. You can free-form your own letter, though that might delay things somewhat from the AG's office, though the business / countereparty will typically get on their game quickly. DDG "consumer complaint" + <YOUR_STATE_HERE> should work. E.g., top ten states by population, covering over half the US population, first result is the corresponding state's AG consumer affairs office: CA: <https://duckduckgo.com/?q=consumert+complain+california https://duckduckgo.com/?q=consumert+complain+california> gives <https://www.dca.ca.gov/consumers/complaints/index.shtml https://www.dca.ca.gov/consumers/complaints/index.shtml> TX: <https://duckduckgo.com/?q=consumer+complaint+texas https://duckduckgo.com/?q=consumer+complaint+texas> <https://www.texasattorneygeneral.gov/consumer-protection https://www.texasattorneygeneral.gov/consumer-protection> FL: <https://duckduckgo.com/?q=consumer+complaint+florida https://duckduckgo.com/?q=consumer+complaint+florida> <https://www.stateofflorida.com/consumer-complaints/ https://www.stateofflorida.com/consumer-complaints/> NY: <https://duckduckgo.com/?q=consumer+complaint+new+york https://duckduckgo.com/?q=consumer+complaint+new+york> <https://dos.ny.gov/file-consumer-complaint https://dos.ny.gov/file-consumer-complaint> PA: <https://duckduckgo.com/?q=consumer+complaint+pennsylvania https://duckduckgo.com/?q=consumer+complaint+pennsylvania> <https://www.attorneygeneral.gov/submit-a-complaint/consumer-complaint/ https://www.attorneygeneral.gov/submit-a-complaint/consumer-...> IL: <https://duckduckgo.com/?q=consumer+complaint+illinois https://duckduckgo.com/?q=consumer+complaint+illinois> <http://www.illinoisattorneygeneral.gov/consumers/filecomplaint.html http://www.illinoisattorneygeneral.gov/consumers/filecomplai...> OH: <https://duckduckgo.com/?q=consumer+complaint+ohio https://duckduckgo.com/?q=consumer+complaint+ohio> <https://www.ohioattorneygeneral.gov/Individuals-and-Families/Consumers/File-A-Complaint.aspx https://www.ohioattorneygeneral.gov/Individuals-and-Families...> GA: <https://duckduckgo.com/?q=consumer+complaint+georgia https://duckduckgo.com/?q=consumer+complaint+georgia> <https://consumer.georgia.gov/ https://consumer.georgia.gov/> NC: <https://duckduckgo.com/?q=consumer+complaint+north+carolina https://duckduckgo.com/?q=consumer+complaint+north+carolina> <https://ncdoj.gov/file-a-complaint/consumer-complaint/ https://ncdoj.gov/file-a-complaint/consumer-complaint/> MI: <https://duckduckgo.com/?q=consumer+complaint+michigan https://duckduckgo.com/?q=consumer+complaint+michigan> <https://www.michigan.gov/ag/complaints https://www.michigan.gov/ag/complaints>
deleted 4y ago
[deleted]
BigRedDog1669 4y ago
Cool, thanks for detailing that. I didn't know you could do that.