How to Complain About a Company in the UK

If a company will not fix a problem, there is a clear escalation route: complain to the trader in writing, use Alternative Dispute Resolution or an ombudsman, then the small claims court as a last resort. Free, independent help is available at every stage.

The Complaint Escalation Ladder

Most consumer disputes, whether about faulty goods, a poor service, an energy bill or a delayed flight, follow the same basic route. Work through it in order rather than skipping straight to court:

1. Complain to the trader directly, in writing. State what went wrong, the legal right you are relying on, and what you want done about it.
2. Use Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) or an ombudsman if the trader cannot resolve things itself. Some sectors have a mandatory ombudsman; others rely on the trader's chosen ADR scheme.
3. If you paid by card, consider Section 75 or chargeback as a separate route against your card issuer or bank, alongside your dispute with the trader.
4. Use the small claims court as the backstop if the amount in dispute is still unresolved after the steps above.

Free, independent guidance is available throughout from the free consumer advice services listed below, so you do not need to pay anyone to help you follow this ladder.

Step 1: Complain to the Trader, in Writing

Always start with the trader you bought from, not the manufacturer, an intermediary, or a claims company. Complaining in writing (email is fine) rather than only by phone means you have a record of exactly what was said and when, which matters if you need to escalate later.

An effective complaint letter or email should cover:

• What happened. The date of purchase, the item or service, and a clear, factual account of the problem. Avoid exaggeration; stick to what you can evidence.
• The legal right you are relying on. For example, that goods must be of satisfactory quality, fit for purpose and as described under the Consumer Rights Act 2015, or that a service must be carried out with reasonable care and skill. Naming the right signals you know your position.
• What you want. A refund, repair, replacement, or price reduction, whichever remedy actually applies at your stage of the process (see faulty goods refund rights for how that ladder works).
• A reasonable deadline for a response, commonly 14 days, and a note that you will escalate if you do not hear back or are not satisfied with the answer.

Keep copies of everything you send and receive, including photos of any fault, receipts, and the dates of any phone calls, who you spoke to, and what was agreed. If the trader offers a resolution informally, get the agreement confirmed in writing before you rely on it.

Step 2: Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) and Ombudsman Schemes

If the trader has not resolved your complaint to your satisfaction, the next step is Alternative Dispute Resolution rather than court. ADR is a way of getting an independent third party to decide, or help settle, a dispute without going to court, and it is usually free to the consumer.

Since 6 April 2026 the rules come from the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act 2024, which replaced the earlier Alternative Dispute Resolution for Consumer Disputes (Competent Authorities and Information) Regulations 2015 (SI 2015/542, now revoked). When a trader tells you the outcome of your complaint, it must also tell you about any ADR scheme or other complaints arrangement available to you if you are unhappy with the answer, where the trader is required to use it by law, by your contract, or by an agreement it has signed up to.

ADR providers now generally need to be accredited under the Act. Under transitional rules, an ADR provider that is not yet accredited may take on new cases during a transitional period that runs until 7 January 2027 or, if the provider applied for accreditation before that date, until its application is granted, refused or withdrawn. If a trader points you to an ADR provider, you can ask whether it is accredited. Not every trader is signed up to a scheme, and outside a few mandatory sectors a trader is not legally required to use ADR, but where it is signed up to one it must tell you about it.

Some sectors go further and require a mandatory ombudsman, rather than leaving ADR to the trader's choice:

• The Financial Ombudsman Service handles complaints about banks, insurers, and other regulated financial services firms once the firm's own complaints process has run its course.
• The Energy Ombudsman handles unresolved complaints against energy suppliers.
• The Communications Ombudsman schemes handle unresolved complaints against phone, broadband and pay-TV providers.

These ombudsman decisions are typically free for you to use and can be binding on the firm if you accept the outcome. Check the trader's own complaints page or your final response letter for the specific scheme that applies to your case.

Step 3: Card Payment Protections

If you paid for the item or service on a card, you may have a separate route against your card provider, alongside your dispute with the trader itself:

• Section 75 of the Consumer Credit Act 1974 makes a credit card issuer jointly and severally liable with the retailer for breach of contract or misrepresentation, where the cash price of the item was over £100 and not more than £30,000. See Section 75 claims for exactly how the liability and price thresholds work.
• Chargeback is a card scheme rule, not a legal right, that lets your bank try to reverse a card payment. It works for both debit and credit cards, commonly within 120 days of the transaction. See chargeback for how it differs from Section 75 and when to use each one.

These routes run alongside, not instead of, your rights against the trader, and using one does not stop you also pursuing ADR, an ombudsman, or court if it does not resolve the problem.

Step 4: The Small Claims Court (the Backstop)

If the trader, ADR, an ombudsman, and any card-payment claim have not resolved a money dispute, the small claims court is the backstop. It is designed to be usable without a solicitor, and it exists specifically for lower-value claims like most consumer disputes. See small claims court for how the process, limits and fees work.

Going to court should generally be a last resort after the earlier steps, both because it takes longer and involves fees, and because ADR and ombudsman schemes are built to resolve exactly this kind of dispute without it.

Realistic Timescales

There is no single fixed deadline for a trader to respond to a first complaint, but a reasonable request, such as 14 days, is a sensible starting point, and most sectors expect a substantive response well within a few weeks. Regulated financial services firms are a partial exception: they must generally issue a final response within 8 weeks, after which you can normally refer the complaint to the Financial Ombudsman Service, and there is usually a time limit (commonly 6 months from that final response) to do so, so do not let a financial complaint sit unresolved for too long.

ADR schemes and ombudsmen typically take weeks to a few months to reach a decision, depending on how complex the dispute is and how much information each side provides. The small claims court, used as a genuine last resort, generally takes the longest of all the routes on this ladder, which is another reason to work through the earlier steps first wherever possible.

Free Help: Citizens Advice and Trading Standards

You do not need to pay anyone to help you complain about a company. In England and Wales, the Citizens Advice consumer service gives free, independent advice on 0808 223 1133 (Welsh language: 0808 223 1144). In Scotland, contact Advice Direct Scotland on 0808 164 6000, and in Northern Ireland, Consumerline on 0300 123 6262. These services offer help working out which legal right applies to your situation and which ADR scheme or ombudsman covers the trader.

Trading Standards enforces consumer protection law, and these advice services can pass a report to Trading Standards, particularly where a business appears to be breaking the law repeatedly or affecting many consumers. Trading Standards does not, however, usually act on your behalf to resolve an individual dispute or get you a personal refund; for that, the escalation ladder above (trader, then ADR or an ombudsman, then card protections, then small claims court) is the route that actually gets your money back.

Related UK Consumer Rights

This escalation route sits behind every consumer right on this site. If your problem is about faulty goods, see the Consumer Rights Act 2015 and faulty goods refund rights for what remedy applies before you need to complain at all. If you paid by card, see Section 75 claims and chargeback. For the full picture, see the UK Consumer Rights hub and the United Kingdom hub.

This article is general information about consumer rights in the United Kingdom, not legal advice, and does not cover every possible scenario. For free, independent guidance on a specific problem, contact the Citizens Advice consumer service on 0808 223 1133 (Welsh language: 0808 223 1144) in England and Wales, Advice Direct Scotland on 0808 164 6000, or Consumerline on 0300 123 6262 in Northern Ireland.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the first step in complaining about a company?

Complain directly to the trader you dealt with, in writing, stating what went wrong, the legal right you are relying on, and what you want done, such as a refund, repair or replacement. Keep records of everything you send and receive.

What is Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR)?

ADR is an independent process for resolving a consumer dispute without going to court, usually free to the consumer. Since 6 April 2026, under the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act 2024 (which replaced the 2015 ADR Regulations), when a trader gives you the outcome of your complaint it must also tell you about any ADR scheme it is signed up to or required to use.

Do I have to use an ombudsman, or can I choose ADR instead?

It depends on the sector. Some sectors, such as financial services, energy and communications, have a mandatory ombudsman scheme. Outside those sectors, a trader is generally not required to use ADR, though if it is signed up to a scheme it must tell you about it when it responds to your complaint.

Can I claim from my card provider instead of the trader?

Yes, in some cases. Section 75 makes a credit card issuer jointly liable with the retailer for purchases with a cash price over £100 and up to £30,000. Chargeback is a card scheme rule that works for both debit and credit cards, commonly within 120 days of the payment.

When should I go to the small claims court?

Use the small claims court as a backstop once complaining to the trader, ADR or an ombudsman, and any card-payment claim have not resolved a money dispute. It is designed to be usable without a solicitor for lower-value claims.

How long does it take to resolve a complaint?

It varies. A first complaint to a trader might reasonably expect a response within a couple of weeks; regulated financial firms generally must give a final response within 8 weeks. ADR and ombudsman schemes typically take weeks to a few months, and court is usually the slowest route.

Where can I get free help with a consumer complaint?

In England and Wales, the Citizens Advice consumer service gives free, independent advice on 0808 223 1133 (Welsh language: 0808 223 1144). In Scotland, contact Advice Direct Scotland on 0808 164 6000, and in Northern Ireland, Consumerline on 0300 123 6262. These services can also refer serious or repeated problems to Trading Standards.

Will Trading Standards resolve my individual dispute?

Not usually. Trading Standards enforces consumer protection law generally and can act against a business breaking the law, but it does not typically investigate or resolve one person's individual complaint or get you a personal refund.