LetterAgent
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A strong letter names the order, the delivery date you were promised, and the date the goods actually arrived, then asks for one clear remedy. Keep the tone factual, attach copies of the order and delivery records, and send it by a method that gives you proof of delivery. That paper trail is what turns a complaint into a record you can act on.
Open with the identifiers that let the supplier find your order without asking you for more detail: the order or purchase order number, the item or shipment description, and the name on the account. Then state the two dates that matter, the promised delivery date and the actual arrival date (or the fact that nothing has arrived yet). If a contract, quote, or order confirmation states the delivery term, quote that line exactly. A supplier can argue about impressions; it is much harder to argue with its own paperwork.
Next, describe the effect in concrete terms. Did a production line stop? Did you pay for rush shipping from another vendor? Did a customer order go unfilled? Name the cost or disruption in plain words, and attach copies of anything that proves it, such as the order confirmation, the carrier tracking record, and invoices for substitute goods. Send copies, never originals.
Ask for one remedy, not a menu of them. A letter that asks for a discount, a replacement, and a cancellation at once reads as venting, not as a demand. Pick the outcome that actually fixes your problem, and give a date by which you expect a reply, two weeks is a reasonable default. The table below covers the usual options.
| Remedy | When it fits | What to state in the letter |
|---|---|---|
| A firm revised delivery date | You still want the goods and can wait a little longer | The new date, and what happens if it is missed |
| A price reduction | The delay cost you money but the goods are still usable | The amount or percentage you seek, and why |
| Cancellation and refund | The goods are no longer useful, or the delay broke the deal | The order number and the refund method you expect |
| Reimbursement of extra costs | You bought substitute goods or paid rush freight | Each cost, with a copy of the receipt attached |
For a supplier dispute, proof of delivery matters as much as the letter itself. In the United States, Certified Mail gives you a mailing receipt and a delivery record; in Canada, Registered Mail plays the same role, with signature on delivery. Keep a copy of the letter, the mailing receipt, and the delivery record together in one file. If the dispute later goes to a credit card claim, a small claims filing, or a lawyer, that file is your evidence, and it is far stronger than a phone call nobody wrote down.
One detail people miss: address the letter to a named person or a specific department, not just the company name. A letter addressed to "Customer Service" can sit in a queue; a letter addressed to the account manager or the sales manager named on your order tends to land on a desk. If you do not know a name, call the company once, ask who handles delivery disputes, and use that name.
Calm, specific, and short. State the facts in order, name the remedy, set a reply deadline, and stop. Threats and long histories of frustration weaken a letter: they give the supplier something to argue about besides the missed date. A supplier that reads a clean, dated, documented letter usually understands that the sender is organized enough to take the next step, and that understanding alone often produces a faster answer than anger does.
Ready to mail it? Send your letter with LetterAgent: describe it to your AI assistant, approve the exact quoted price, and it is printed and mailed.
LetterAgent is a working name. Prices include print, postage, and our service fee. US prices in USD, Canadian prices in CAD (Canadian prices exclude applicable sales tax, added at checkout). Currently in private testing.
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