Complain · Works anywhere
Complaining about a service that was not delivered
A service you paid for was not carried out, or was carried out differently from what was agreed. This letter says what is missing, what you are asking for instead, and by what date you expect a reply.
This page gives the shape of a letter, the words that fit and the public references attached to it. It does not tell you what to do about a particular case, and it does not replace the opinion of a qualified professional. The blanks marked in the letter are for you to fill in.
When this letter fits
- A service you ordered did not take place on the date agreed.
- It took place, but not as the contract, the quotation or the order described it.
- A sum was paid in advance for a service that never came.
When it does not fit
- It is not the service that is missing but an item that has broken down: the guarantee letter fits better.
- You have not written yet and the organisation has made a decision you disagree with: that is a letter of challenge.
- You have already written and nobody replied: that is a follow-up, which recalls the first letter instead of writing it again.
The letter, in full
The passages that are marked are the blanks to fill in. Paragraphs carrying a condition are written only in the case stated: the workshop does that sorting, or you do it by hand.
your town, the date
Subject: Complaint: what was supposed to be done
Reference: your file number
Dear Sir or Madam,
I engaged you for what was supposed to be done, which was due to be carried out on date it was supposed to be done.
what happened
If “What you have already tried” is filled inwhat you have already tried
To date, this service has not been delivered on the terms agreed.
If “What you are asking for” is “That the service be carried out”I am asking you to carry it out and to confirm to me in writing the date on which it will be.
If “What you are asking for” is “A refund of what was paid”I am asking you to refund the sum of sum paid, paid for a service that was not delivered.
If “What you are asking for” is “A reduction in the price”I am asking for a reduction in the price matching what was not delivered, together with the details of how it was calculated.
I should be grateful for a written reply before date by which you expect a reply. With no reply by that date, I will treat the request as refused and will pursue the routes of appeal open to me.
This letter is being sent with proof of posting retained.
Yours faithfully,
your first name and surname
Enclosures
- A copy of the contract, the quotation or the order form.
- A copy of the invoice or the proof of payment.
- A copy of any exchanges you have already had.
The questions to answer
- What was supposed to be done
Use the words of the contract, the quotation or the invoice, so that the organisation finds the file without hesitating.
Example: replacing the boiler in the flat - The date it was supposed to be done
The date agreed, as it appears on the document you signed. - What happened
Facts and dates, nothing else. One or two sentences are enough, and they weigh more than a page of irritation.
Example: No engineer came and I received neither a call nor a message. - What you have already tried optional
The calls and the messages, with their dates if you noted them. Leave this empty if it is your first letter.
Example: I called customer services on the 4th and the 11th of the month, without obtaining a date. - What you are asking for
One request per letter. Two requests in the same letter answer each other.- That the service be carried out: You still want the service, with a date in writing.
- A refund of what was paid: You no longer want the service, you want the money back.
- A reduction in the price: The service was partly delivered, and you are asking for a price matching what was actually done.
- The sum paid If “What you are asking for” is “A refund of what was paid”
The exact amount, as it appears on the invoice or the statement. - The date by which you expect a reply
Allow two to four weeks after sending. A date can be checked, a length of time can be argued over.
What to ask for, precisely
- A written reply, not a phone call: a phone call cannot be proved.
- A date, not a vague delay: “some time next month” commits nobody.
- The details of the calculation as soon as a sum is at stake, so that it can be checked.
- The name or number of the file the complaint is recorded under.
The documents to attach
- A copy of the contract, the quotation or the order form.
- A copy of the invoice or the proof of payment.
- A copy of any exchanges you have already had.
The deadline
Two to four weeks from receipt. That is a period an organisation deals with without finding it unreasonable, and it is long enough for a refusal to reply to show. Write a date rather than a length of time.
After sending
- Keep a copy of the letter as it went, dated and signed.
- Send it with proof of posting, and proof of receipt if the postal service offers one.
- Note the date of sending: that is when the deadline you set starts running.
- With no reply by the date you set, the next step is a follow-up recalling this letter, not a second complaint.
The legal grounds
This template belongs to the universal core: it invokes no national law, so it has no legal reference to cite. Its strength lies elsewhere, in how precise the facts, the dates and the request are. If your country has a text that strengthens this step, it lives in a country module, separately and by name.