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Write to your state attorney general's consumer protection division with a clear account of what happened, copies of your evidence, and a statement of what you want. Mail it certified so you have proof it arrived. The AG acts on patterns of misconduct, not individual refunds, so keep expectations realistic.
The attorney general is your state's chief consumer protection officer, but it is a law enforcement office, not a customer service desk. Most AG offices won't resolve your individual dispute or get your money back directly. What they do is collect complaints, spot patterns of deceptive or unfair business practices, and bring enforcement actions against repeat offenders. Your complaint becomes evidence in a bigger picture. That said, some offices do contact the business on your behalf, and businesses often respond quickly once a government letterhead is involved, which is why filing is worth doing even without a guaranteed individual outcome.
Every state attorney general has a consumer protection or consumer complaint division with a published mailing address, usually on the AG's website under "File a consumer complaint." Complaints go to the AG of the state where the transaction happened or where the business operates, not necessarily where you live now. Many states also publish a complaint form you can fill out and include with your letter: using their form means you won't forget a required field like the business's exact legal name or your contact information.
| What to include | Why |
|---|---|
| Your name, address, and phone number | So the office can contact you with questions |
| The business's full legal name and address | Trade names differ from legal names; use both if you can |
| A chronological account of what happened | Dates, amounts, and the order of events: the core of the complaint |
| What you want | Refund, repair, cancellation: state it plainly |
| Copies of contracts, receipts, and correspondence | Evidence: copies only, never originals |
| Their complaint form, if one exists | Keeps your filing in the office's standard workflow |
They serve different purposes and you can use more than one. The attorney general looks for patterns and can bring enforcement actions. The Better Business Bureau mediates individual disputes and its ratings pressure businesses to respond. Small claims court gets you an enforceable judgment for your specific loss. A sensible sequence: write to the company first (keep that letter, since the AG may ask whether you tried), file with the AG and the BBB in parallel, and reserve small claims court for when you need a binding decision about your money.
Lead with the facts, not the feelings. State the business name, what you bought, what you paid, what went wrong, and what you asked the business to do about it. Attach copies of the contract, receipts, and any back-and-forth. Keep the tone factual: anger is understandable, but a calm, documented account reads as credible to an investigator. End with your requested outcome and your contact information. Send the whole package certified mail with return receipt, and keep a complete copy for yourself.
This is general information, not legal advice.
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