Any documentation relating to your purchase, including receipts, brochures, estimates, warranties, contracts, packaging and photos of the product (if you can't easily return it to the merchant).

Letter writing supplies (paper, pen, a typewriter or word processor, envelopes and stamps) to register your formal complaint with the merchant and/or consumer protection group.

Access to a copy machine to document your materials

A folder to organize your materials and correspondence

A phone book

You might be taken care of after just a single visit or phone call, but be prepared for a worst-case scenario, which could last several months (or more).

2torial #0762: Learn2 Make a Business Complaint Capitalism got you down? Does your recently installed roof seem more like an indoor sprinkler system? Did you buy a new computer, only to find it crashes more often than it works? Consumers of the world unite! If you have a defective product on your hands, this 2torial will guide you through the proper procedures for filing a complaint--from when to be nice to when to get tough--so you can have the customer satisfaction you deserve. First, make sure you're within your rights. You'll need the receipt or contract to use as proof of the transaction (otherwise the merchant has the right to refuse your claim). If there's a warranty, make sure it hasn't expired. But even if you're missing something, there's still a chance the merchant will give you some leeway and listen to what you have to say. Second, keep a level head. Spending good money on something that turns out to be defective can be particularly infuriating, but once you decide to pursue a complaint, it's important not to mix emotion with the task at hand. If you assume the merchant will want to help solve the problem, and you approach the situation with a positive attitude, then you're likely to get better service and a quicker resolution. Finally, while everything might not go your way, don't give up at the first roadblock. If your claim is contested, the process of following it through the proper channels can be lengthy. But if you take it one step at a time, in a calm, methodical way, you'll almost always get positive results. Step 1