For service disputes or complaints about merchandise, you should provide supporting documents with your letter, including either photocopies of or a written record of your:

• Dated receipt

• Place of purchase

• Product description, including model and serial numbers

Whenever possible, direct your letter to a specific person. Finding out the name of the person to whom you should send your letter is usually as easy as placing a phone call to the company and asking the receptionist or party who answers to whom you should direct your letter. It isn't necessary to give the receptionist any details about your specific complaint. A question as general as “I'm having a problem receiving a shipment and I need to know the name of the person I should contact; to whom do you suggest I write to direct my concerns?” or a statement like “I need the name of your shipping department's supervisor” should suffice.

Your complaint has a better chance of being handled if it is, by virtue of how it's addressed, a named person's responsibility to take action. A letter sent to a “department” can be shuffled from desk to desk before somebody researches your complaint and writes your reply, or worse, ignores your letter altogether.

There will be times, however, when it isn't possible to obtain a name. In such an instance, be as specific as possible when you address the letter. Supplying a department name within the address and your letter salutation helps ensure that your letter lands on the proper desk.

Formal Complaint Letter

(Date)

Dear Presto Software Company Customer Service Supervisor:

I returned a software package to your company almost a month ago and I have yet to receive the promised replacement for those damaged goods.

Supporting documents you'll find attached with this letter are:

A copy of the letter from the local post office, stating the software was not shipped in sufficient protective packaging to ensure the CD wasn't damaged during shipment

A copy of my letter sent when I returned the software package as proof that it was received in a manner in which I was unable to install the software, which would have voided the return policy conditions (The CD was bent in half!)

A copy of the receipt showing the package return postage cost

A copy of the dated and signed receipt indicating that the package was received by your company

Please see that my replacement software is shipped immediately. If I do not receive it within ten business days from this date, I will expect a full refund for my purchase, plus the return shipping costs.

Sincerely,

Adam Dotcom

Enc.