by
Which? magazine, September 2001

Have you ever been refused a refund, waited weeks for your TV to be reparied, or been unhappy with your holiday accommodation? If you want to complaint about it, a good starting point is www.howtocomplain.com. It offers step-by-step advice and web links to many useful consumers sites, including Which? Online.

We asked four Which? researchers (who had genuine complaints) to try the site. They thought it was easy to find their way around, and the advice was clear and informative. All liked the online 'letter wizard', which helps you to write an effective letter of complaint.

Our consumer lawyers felt that the legal advice was sketchy in some areas, and more about the law may give you extra ammunition when complaining.

If the company that's offended you is listed on the howtocomplain database (1,400 companies are included), you can send your complaint online, and the site will forward it to the company concerned. The site doesn't follow up any complaints on your behalf, though it's looking into offering this service. If you can't find the company you're looking for, the site advises you complose a letter using the letter wizard, then send it through the post.