ATLANTA — A new study by the Consumer Federation of America reveals the most useful websites for filing complaints.
The study looked at six websites and says the best place to start is a site called my3cents. Consumer Adviser Clark Howard says these websites are good to warn other consumers.
But he says if you want to solve your own problem, you need to go further.
How To Complain And Get Results
Gayle Brown recently took a flight on Air Tran. She was sitting next to an inattentive mom with a 2-year old daughter on her lap. Brown said, "The mother didn't take along any food or toys or books, and she threw cup of liquid at my head and conked me on the head with her fist."
Gayle complained to the Air Tran flight attendant. That got her nowhere, so she complained in writing to customer service. That's when she got results. Brown said, "They gave me points through my a plus rewards card and I also got a credit of $75."
Harrison Weiland had a problem with Bank of America because of overdraft fees. "I got fed up with customer service and decided to write a succinct letter and mail it to whoever would listen at Bank of America and see who could I get through to and get a response from and that's what I did."
Harrison went to a finance website looked up the board of directors, the CFO and the CEO. He wrote them all. The result? An apology and a refund.
Clark's advice: If you want your problem resolved, go right to the company in question. Look up the key players and start two or three levels from the top. Complain in writing, either by e-mail or by letter. Be polite and specific about what you would like done to make you whole.
WSBTV
