advertising. ⢠billing practices. ⢠door-to-door and telephone sales. ⢠Internet and mail sales. If your complaint
Consumer Complaint Explanation and Information The Idaho Consumer Protection Act protects Idaho’s consumers and businesses from unfair competition and deceptive business practices. The Act authorizes the Attorney General to file a lawsuit when he has reason to believe that a business has violated the Act or other laws that he enforces. Because our resources are limited, we bring lawsuits in cases of statewide significance. The Attorney General represents the State of Idaho and cannot act as a private attorney for individual consumers. Any legal action we take is on behalf of the state. The Attorney General is authorized to investigate allegations of unfair or deceptive business practices. Information from consumers allows us to identify and devote our resources to the most serious cases involving widespread injury to Idaho’s consumers and its business environment. Examples of commercial acts or practices that the Attorney General may investigate include deceptive: • • • •
advertising billing practices door-to-door and telephone sales Internet and mail sales
If your complaint involves a commercial activity similar to those mentioned above, we encourage you to file a complaint. When appropriate, we will attempt to resolve your dispute through our informal dispute resolution process. We will forward your complaint to the business and mail the business’s response to you. If we do not receive a response, we will notify you. It is unnecessary to call for status updates. Our dispute resolution process is voluntary and requires the cooperation of all parties. We cannot guarantee a satisfactory resolution of your complaint. Your complaint form and supporting documents are public records. As such, they may be inspected by the public under Idaho's Public Records Law. We also share our complaint forms with other law enforcement agencies. To protect your privacy, we strongly recommend that you remove all personal confidential information, such as Social Security numbers, bank account and credit card numbers, and medical information from copies of any documents you include with your complaint. Do not send our office any documents that contain private or confidential information. However, if the documents you send us do contain personal confidential information, the best way to conceal this information is by using a correction fluid such as Wite Out, erasing it, or using a black marker to cover it.
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If you need to update your complaint after submitting it, please do so in writing. Other options are available to help you resolve your complaint. They include: 1. Your local Better Business Bureau may be able to assist you in mediating a dispute with a business. 2. You can file an action in Small Claims Court if the amount in controversy is less than $5,000. 3. If the business violated the Idaho Consumer Protection Act or the amount in controversy is more than $5,000, you may have a private legal remedy. You should consult with an experienced attorney for assistance. If you do not have an attorney, you can contact the Idaho State Bar’s Lawyer Referral Service at (208) 334–4500 or www.isb.idaho.gov. Depending on the nature of your problem, you should consider filing your complaint with one of the agencies listed below: 1. If your complaint involves an individual who is licensed through a professional board, file a complaint with that board. Many boards fall within the purview of the Idaho Bureau of Occupational Licenses. Complaint forms are available at www.ibol.idaho.gov. 2. If your complaint involves a national bank, file a complaint with the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) at www.consumerfinance.gov. 3. If your complaint involves a state-chartered bank, a collection agency, a debt management company, a mortgage broker, or a mortgage modification service provider, file a complaint with the Idaho Department of Finance. Complaint forms are available at finance.idaho.gov. 4. If your complaint involves a violation of the National Do Not Call Registry, please refer to our Telephone Solicitation Complaint form on the Attorney General’s website. 5. If your complaint involves the receipt of SPAM, file a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission at www.ftc.gov. If you need emergency legal assistance, have questions about your legal rights or options, or need assistance in locating or understanding local, state, or federal laws, please call a private attorney. Please complete, print and sign the attached complaint form. You should also save a copy of your complaint for your records. Send one signed copy to us with copies of the supporting documentation. Keep the other copy with the original supporting documents for your own files. Mail the completed, signed, and dated complaint form with any supporting documentation to: Office of the Attorney General Consumer Protection Division 954 W. Jefferson, 2nd Floor P.O. Box 83720 Boise, ID 83720-0010
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For Office Use Only
OFFICE OF THE ATTORNEY GENERAL Lawrence G. Wasden Consumer Protection Division 954 W. Jefferson, 2nd Floor P.O. Box 83720 Boise, ID 83720-0010 Phone: (208) 334-2424
CONSUMER COMPLAINT FORM For your convenience, you can fill out this form on your computer. However, to file your complaint, you must print, sign, and send this form to the Attorney General's Office. We recommend that you print two copies of the form, sending one signed copy to us with supporting documentation and keeping the other copy with the supporting documentation for your own files. Please do not attempt to e-mail this form. We will not receive it. Please print completed form and mail it to the address listed above. INFORMATION ABOUT YOU Your Name: (required) Address: (required) City:
State:
Phone:
Email Address:
Age Group: (optional)
Zip Code:
Under 21
Country:
21-35
36-65
Over 65
INFORMATION ABOUT THE BUSINESS OR THE PERSON THAT YOUR COMPLAINT IS AGAINST Business or Person’s Name: (required) Address: City:
State:
Zip Code:
Phone:
Website:
Country:
INFORMATION ABOUT YOUR COMPLAINT Does your complaint involve the purchase, rental or lease of a product or service? If so, please answer the following:
Yes
No
Yes
No
Was your home or cell number on the Do Not Call Registry for at least 31 days?
Yes
No
Did you tell the solicitor to remove your number from its call list?
Yes
No
Product or Service: Amount Paid:
Date Purchased/Rented/Leased: Did you get the product?
Yes
No
In part
Was the service completed?
Yes
No
In part
Does your complaint involve a telephone solicitation? If so, please answer the following:
CONSUMER COMPLAINT – PAGE 1 of 3
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Describe your complaint, including names, dates, and actions. Attach additional pages if necessary. Do not attach originals (we will not return them.)
If you lost money because of this purchase or lease, how much money did you lose? Please explain how you calculated your loss:
What do you think would be a fair resolution of your consumer complaint?
Did the business or person identified on page 1 previously provide you with a written response to your concerns? Yes
No
If so, please attach a copy of the response you received.
Did another office, such as the Better Business Bureau or the Department of Finance, previously mediate your complaint? Yes
No
If so, please attach a copy of the office's most recent correspondence and a copy of any correspondence from the business or the person identified on page 1.
Have you filed a lawsuit against the business or the person identified on page 1? Yes
No
If so, please attach a copy of the complaint.
Has a court issued an order, judgment, or other final decision in your lawsuit? Yes
No
If so, please attach a copy of the court's order, judgment, or other final decision.
CONSUMER COMPLAINT – PAGE 2 of 3
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HOW YOU WANT YOUR COMPLAINT ADDRESSED Before checking a box, please make sure you understand how the Attorney General's dispute resolution process works. An explanation of this voluntary process is available on the Attorney General's website or in the letter that came with this complaint.
PLEASE CONSIDER MY COMPLAINT FOR THE ATTORNEY GENERAL'S DISPUTE RESOLUTION PROCESS. By checking this box, I understand that the Attorney General's Consumer Protection Division will review my complaint and decide whether to send it to the business for a response. I understand that the Attorney General's dispute resolution process is voluntary, and the Attorney General cannot force the business to respond or resolve my complaint. MY COMPLAINT IS FOR INFORMATIONAL PURPOSES ONLY. By checking this box, I understand that my complaint will not be considered for the Attorney General's dispute resolution process. I also understand that the Attorney General will not take action on my complaint unless the Attorney General, in his discretion, deems further action is appropriate. As such, I understand that the Attorney General's Office will contact me only if the office needs more information from me.
PUBLIC RECORDS ACT AND DOCUMENT NOTICE Please note that your Complaint Form and all documents you attach are available to the public and media if a request is made under Idaho's Public Records Act. We also share our complaints with other law enforcement agencies. To protect your privacy, please remove all personal and confidential information, such as Social Security numbers, bank account and credit card numbers, and medical information from any documents you attach to your Complaint Form. Finally, please send only copies of your documents. Do not include any original documents.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I understand that the Attorney General is not my private attorney and that the office advocates on behalf of the state of Idaho by enforcing laws prohibiting fraudulent or deceptive business practices. I certify that the information provided on this form is true and correct to the best of my knowledge.
Your Signature (Required)
Date (Required)
Our Complaint Intake Procedure: In most instances, we will mail you a copy of the correspondence between our office and the business. Given the large number of complaints and requests that we receive, it may be several weeks before you receive communication from us. If you need immediate legal assistance, please contact a private attorney. CONSUMER COMPLAINT – PAGE 3 of 3
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