How to File a Complaint with the FTC
FTC complaints do not resolve your case directly, but they build the record regulators act on.
Table of contents
What the FTC does with complaints
What the FTC does with complaints. This is where most people either build leverage or lose it, and the difference is almost always documentation rather than legal knowledge.
Start by writing down what happened in plain chronological order, with dates and dollar amounts. That timeline becomes the factual spine of your demand letter and, if it comes to it, your small claims exhibit list.
Filing step by step
Filing step by step. This is where most people either build leverage or lose it, and the difference is almost always documentation rather than legal knowledge.
Put every step in writing, keep dated copies, and send anything important by certified mail. Companies respond to documented, deadline-bearing requests very differently than to phone calls that leave no record.
Generate Your Demand Letter
Free to preview, $2 to download as PDF or DOCX — statute-cited and ready to send.
Start freePairing it with a demand letter
Pairing it with a demand letter. This is where most people either build leverage or lose it, and the difference is almost always documentation rather than legal knowledge.
Put every step in writing, keep dated copies, and send anything important by certified mail. Companies respond to documented, deadline-bearing requests very differently than to phone calls that leave no record.
Realistic expectations
Realistic expectations. This is where most people either build leverage or lose it, and the difference is almost always documentation rather than legal knowledge.
Put every step in writing, keep dated copies, and send anything important by certified mail. Companies respond to documented, deadline-bearing requests very differently than to phone calls that leave no record.