Shocked, Appalled, and Dismayed! How to Write Letters of Complaint That Get Results

by PHILLIPS, ELLEN

• ISBN13: 9780375701207
• ISBN10: 0375701206
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 1998-12-22
• Publisher: Vintage

Summary

How to get the best of shoddy shops, crooked car-dealerships, and heartless HMOs--without having to hire an attorney. The Miss Manners of the consumer kvetch shows readers how to go postal, with complaint letters designed to melt the heart and sting the conscience of the most obdurate, negligent, or customer-hostile corporations. Drawing on her experience as a pen-for-hire for irate consumers--and on the advice of clients, attorneys, and CEOs--Ellen Phillips shows readers: - Who to write to, what to say, what to ask for - The names and addresses of over 600 major companies - How to draft personal petitions covering everything from tenant-landlord disputes to workman's compensation - Suggestions on what steps to take to avoid litigation - Consumer Smarts for automobile buyers - How to protect yourself from fraudulent business solicitations - Navigating the courts to ensure the well-being of your family and children - Help in getting proper coverage from your HMO - And--because sometimes the world is on your side--how to write the perfect thank- you note. Delightfully readable, easy to use, and filled with the addresses of hundreds of corporate customer relations offices and state and federal agencies,Shocked, Appalled, and Dismayed!is an essential resource for anyone who wants to reach out and scold somebody.

Author Biography

A consumer consultant, Ellen Haygood Phillips is the founder of Poison Pen, Inc. She lives in Alexandria, Virginia.

Table of Contents

Preface	p. xvii
The Power of the Pen: Don't Get Mad, Get (Appropriately) Even	p. 3
The Verbal Approach	p. 11
How to Write an Effective Complaint Letter	p. 18
Advice from the Legal Experts	p. 37
Common Complaints I: Airlines, Automobiles, Restaurants, and Hotels	p. 43
Airlines and Travel Companies	p. 51
Airlines	p. 51
Travel Companies	p. 52
Automobiles	p. 69
Consumer Smarts for Automobile Buyers	p. 69
Repairs	p. 73
Car Dealerships and Repairs	p. 77
Auto Insurance	p. 92
Restaurants and Hotels	p. 96
Restaurants	p. 96
Hotels	p. 104
Common Complaints II: Credit, Bank Deposits, Retail, and Services	p. 112
Credit Problems	p. 112
Mortgages	p. 114
Store Credit	p. 117
Excessive Credit Card Debt	p. 120
Bank Deposits	p. 125
Mail Order, Shopping Parties, Cybershopping, and Retail Policy	p. 127
Mail Order	p. 127
Shopping Parties	p. 131
Cybershopping	p. 134
Returns	p. 137
Damaged and Shoddy Goods	p. 139
Warranties and Defective Goods	p. 147
Services	p. 151
Personnel Agencies	p. 151
Dating Services	p. 153
Health Maintenance Organizations (HMOs), Doctors, and Nurses	p. 160
Health Maintenance Organizations	p. 160
Prescriptions	p. 166
Doctors and Nurses	p. 170
Sue or Arbitrate?	p. 177
Arbitration versus Mediation	p. 177
Small-Claims Court	p. 181
Letters of a More Personal Nature: from Petitions to Pleas	p. 183
Personal Petitions	p. 183
Petitioning the Court on Child Support	p. 184
Disability	p. 189
Immigration	p. 191
Funding for Social Services	p. 194
Housing	p. 196
Personal Pleas	p. 199
To a Difficult Relative	p. 201
Problems at Work	p. 202
Tenant/Landlord Dispute	p. 204
To an Insensitive Parent	p. 206
The Art of the Perfect Thank-You	p. 209
Formal Thank-You Letters	p. 210
Thank-You for a Job Well Done	p. 210
Thank-You in Response to Personal Petitions	p. 214
Formal Thank-You Notes	p. 215
Thank-You in Response to a Personal Plea	p. 217
Thank-You for a Job Interview	p. 217
Thank-You for a Gift	p. 218
Fill in the Blank	p. 221
Airlines	p. 222
Automobiles	p. 224
Automobile Insurance	p. 226
Cybershopping	p. 227
Health or Disability Insurance	p. 228
Hotels/Restaurants	p. 232
Moving Companies	p. 234
Neighbors	p. 236
Postal Service	p. 237
Retail	p. 239
Vacation Scams	p. 241
Epilogue	p. 243
Appendices	p. 245
The Attorneys General of the United States and State Consumer Protection Offices	p. 247
Automobile Dispute Resolution Programs	p. 252
National Consumer Organizations	p. 255
Corporate Consumer Contacts	p. 259
State Insurance Regulators	p. 307
Trade Associations and Other Dispute Resolution Programs	p. 313
United States Government Departments and Agencies	p. 319
Independent Federal Agencies	p. 327
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