How to Write an Effective Attorney General Complaint

Why how you write matters

An AG consumer-protection division processes thousands of complaints each year. A reviewer typically scans a new complaint quickly to decide three things: is this within the office's jurisdiction, is there a clear pattern of conduct that affects multiple consumers, and can a paralegal call the business and resolve it. Complaints that answer those questions in the first paragraph move into mediation or investigation; complaints that read like a rant tend to receive a generic response and no further follow-up.

The same complaint can therefore produce very different outcomes depending on how it is written. The goal is not to be a lawyer — these forms are designed for ordinary consumers — but to give the reviewer what they need without making them dig.

Before you start writing

Spend ten minutes gathering the facts. The act of laying them out makes the complaint write itself.

• The business's exact legal name and address — not just the brand. Pull it from the contract, invoice, or state business registry.
• Dates — when the transaction happened, when the dispute began, when you contacted the business, and when they responded (or did not).
• Amounts — what you paid, what you were charged, what you are still being billed for.
• Documents — contract, receipts, screenshots of the website at the time of purchase, emails, text messages, photos of damaged or undelivered goods.
• What you have already tried — calls, emails, written demand letters, chargeback attempts. Most AGs expect a good-faith attempt to resolve directly first.
• Your desired outcome — refund, repair, contract cancellation, removal from a credit report, restoration of service.

A structure that works

Most online complaint forms do not require any specific format, but they all benefit from the same five-part structure. If you are writing in a free-text "describe the problem" box, paste the parts in order. If the form has separate fields, use them.

1. Who and what (one sentence). "On [date], I purchased [product/service] from [business legal name and city/state] for [amount]." This single line tells the reviewer the jurisdiction, the industry, and roughly how serious the matter is.
2. What went wrong (a short paragraph). Stick to facts: what was promised, what was delivered, what changed. Avoid characterizing the business's intent ("they obviously wanted to cheat me"). Stick to verifiable conduct.
3. What you have already done. List every step you took to resolve it, with dates: phone calls, emails, written demands, chargebacks. Mention specific names if you spoke with named representatives.
4. What you want. Be concrete. "I want a full refund of $487.50" is workable; "I want them punished" is not.
5. The evidence you are attaching. List the documents and label them ("Exhibit A: contract dated 1/15/2026"). Investigators rely on these labels to navigate the file.

A worked outline

A short, neutral example showing the parts in place. Replace the bracketed details with your own.

To: Office of the Attorney General, Consumer Protection Division
Re: Complaint against [Business Legal Name], [City], [State]

On [date], I entered into a written agreement with [Business Legal Name] for [product or service] at a total contract price of [$ amount]. I paid [$ amount] up front via [payment method].

The business agreed in writing to [delivery, completion, or service detail] by [date]. As of [date], that has not happened. Specifically, [one or two factual sentences about what was promised and what occurred].

I have attempted to resolve this directly. On [date] I called [phone number] and spoke with [name or department], who said [response]. On [date] I sent a written demand by [email/certified mail]; the business [responded with X / did not respond]. I also [filed a chargeback / contacted the BBB / etc.] on [date].

The outcome I am seeking is [refund of $X / repair / contract cancellation / removal of the negative tradeline]. I am willing to accept [a reasonable alternative if applicable].

I am attaching the following documents:
  - Exhibit A: [signed contract dated …]
  - Exhibit B: [receipts and bank statements showing payment]
  - Exhibit C: [emails from [date] to [date]]
  - Exhibit D: [photos / inspection report / screenshots]

I authorize the Attorney General's office to share this complaint and supporting documents with the business named above for the purpose of resolving the matter.

[Your name]
[Address, phone, email]

That outline runs about 250 words. If yours is much longer, ask whether each paragraph adds a new fact. If not, trim.

Tone

Investigators do read tone. They also do not need to be persuaded that what happened is unfair — they need to be able to act. The two are different, and the second is harder to do when the complaint is full of capital letters and accusations.

• State conduct, not character. "The business charged my card a second time without authorization" is actionable. "The business is criminal" is not.
• Use ordinary language. Legal terms like "breach of contract" or "unfair and deceptive trade practices" are fine if they apply, but you do not need to plead a case. The office's lawyers will classify it.
• Keep emotion out of the body. Anger is justified; it just does not belong in the part of the document that has to be quoted in a follow-up letter to the business.

Evidence: what to attach and what to leave out

Strong attachments make the difference between a complaint that gets resolved through mediation and one that sits in a queue.

Attach

• The contract, signed quote, terms of service, or receipt.
• Bank or credit-card statements showing the disputed charge — black out the rest of the account number.
• The full email thread or text exchange with the business, in chronological order. Screenshots are fine.
• Any written response from the business, including refusal letters.
• Independent third-party evidence: an inspection report, repair estimate from another contractor, photographs with timestamps, a police report (for theft or impersonation), or an FTC ReportFraud confirmation number.

Leave out

• Long social-media threads or reviews from other customers — unless the AG's office has asked for them, they read as anecdote.
• Documents unrelated to this dispute (older invoices from previous transactions).
• Sensitive personal information that the form does not ask for (full Social Security number, full bank account numbers).

Common mistakes that quietly sink a complaint

• Filing in the wrong state. Most AGs require the business to be located in their state, to be doing business there, or to have harmed a resident there. If your contract was with a company in another state, file in that state — or with a federal agency.
• Filing too early. If you have not given the business a chance to respond, the AG will usually refer you back to the business first. Document one written request before filing.
• Filing too late. Most consumer-protection statutes have a multi-year limitations period, but evidence ages quickly. File while you can still produce documents.
• Asking the AG to "represent" you. The AG's office does not act as your private lawyer. They take action against businesses where there is a pattern of harm. Frame your complaint as part of that pattern, not as a request for personal counsel.
• Conflating rant with record. A complaint is a record; a rant is venting. The same facts told two ways produce two very different responses.
• Not asking for a specific remedy. If the office mediates, they need a number to negotiate to. Pick a real outcome.
• Sending one complaint to ten agencies at once with no context. Cross-file deliberately and say so: "I am also filing with the FTC and CFPB; complaint numbers will follow."

Where to file

Different agencies handle different categories. The right destination is usually:

• Your state Attorney General — disputes with a business operating in your state, deceptive trade practices, contractor and home-improvement issues, charity fraud. See our state directory.
• FTC (reportfraud.ftc.gov) — most consumer scams, including ones with cross-state or international elements.
• CFPB — banking, mortgages, credit reporting, debt collection.
• FBI IC3 (ic3.gov) — internet crime and online fraud.
• Better Business Bureau — useful as a parallel mediation channel; not a regulator.

For more detail on choosing among agencies, see our guide to where to file a consumer complaint. For what to expect after submission, read what happens after you file. If your goal is to recover money rather than trigger an investigation, our page on small claims court vs an AG complaint compares the two paths.

Quick checklist

• Business's full legal name, address, and any case or invoice numbers
• Dates of every relevant event in chronological order
• Dollar amounts paid, billed, and disputed
• Written record of one or more good-faith attempts to resolve directly
• A specific, realistic remedy you are asking for
• Labeled exhibits attached, in order
• Neutral tone in the narrative; emotion out of the body
• Filed in the right jurisdiction

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