Ok, so unless you're Victor Meldrew, nobody really enjoys complaining and grumbling about things. But sometimes it is necessary, especially when it comes to consumer rights and spending your hard earned dosh on something which just doesn't cut the mustard.

Firstly, the most important thing to do if you’ve got a problem, is to go back to the shop as soon as possible, ideally with your receipt.

It’s really easy to forget what you want to say when you’ve got a complaint, because let’s face it – it can sometimes be a bit embarrassing sticking up for yourself. Decide what you want to say and how you want to say it before you open your mouth or put pen to paper -

• Explain the problem – say the name of the item you bought, the price you paid, when you bought it, what is exactly wrong with it.
• Have your receipt handy and any other documents which you might need.
• Get the name of the person you speak to.
• Write down the time you called and the day.
• Say what you want done about it – for example a repair, a refund, an exchange.
• Give them a reasonable amount of time to do something about it.

Well don’t panic, if you find that you get a negative response to your complaint or an unsatisfactory alternative to your problem then you’ve basically got two options:

• If the store/service is part of a chain (i.e. there are lots of them all over the country like HMV or Tesco) then you could write to the Head of Office with your complaint and see if they’ll do something about it.
• It’s time to get further advice….

Ok, if you need further help with your complaint – there’s a variety of organisations that could help you:

• Trading Standards Departments
• Environmental Health Departments
• Citizens advice bureau
• Law Centres
• Trade associations

You'll find contact details for all these lovely organisations in the phone book, so don't hesitate to get in contact with them if you feel that you've been unfairly dealt with….Good Luck!

Links:

Citizens Advice Bureau – see local phone book for one closest to you
www.adviceguide.org.uk

Directory of Trade Associations www.brainstorm.co.uk/TANC/Directory/Welcome.html

Law Centres Federation
www.lawcentres.org.uk
Find the location of the nearest Law Centre to you

Trading Standards Department
www.tradingstandards.gov.uk

The laws stated in this article apply only to England and Wales