Template
Complaint Letter Template (Copy, Fill In, Send)
Last updated September 8, 2026
Below is a plain template you can copy directly, followed by a filled-in example so you can see how it reads once the brackets are replaced. It works for most situations: a bad product, a cancelled service, a billing error, poor treatment by staff.
The template
Select the text below and copy it as-is.
Subject: Complaint Regarding [order/incident reference]
Dear [Company or Department Name],
On [date], I [brief description of what happened]. This was not what I was told to expect when I [booked / purchased / signed up], and it has caused [the specific inconvenience or cost].
I am requesting [refund / replacement / credit / specific compensation] to resolve this.
Please respond within [10-14] business days. If I don't hear back by then, I will [escalate to a manager / file a complaint with a relevant authority / pursue this further].
Sincerely,
[Your name]
Filled in, as an example
Subject: Complaint Regarding Order #48213
Dear Customer Service Team,
On September 3rd, my order arrived a week late and missing two of the four items I paid for. This was not what I was told to expect when I placed the order with two-day shipping, and it has left me without items I needed for a specific event that has now passed.
I am requesting a full refund for the missing items plus the shipping fee to resolve this.
Please respond within 10 business days. If I don't hear back by then, I will file a complaint with my card provider and leave a public review documenting this experience.
Sincerely,
Alex Nguyen
Adjusting the tone
This version reads as firm but calm, which works for most first-contact complaints. If it's your second or third attempt with no response, it's fair to reference that history directly and tighten the deadline. If the issue involves a safety problem or a clear breach of a stated policy, naming the specific policy or regulation strengthens the letter considerably.
Skipping the fill-in-the-blanks
If you'd rather describe what happened in your own words and let AI handle the structure, tone, and the exact compensation ask, DraftMyComplaints does that in about the time it takes to fill in this template by hand, and it can pull in a photo of the issue as attached evidence too.
Draft my complaint now →