# How to complain and actually get a refund

> Ask for the outcome, not an apology. Put it in writing, give dates and order numbers, name the remedy you want, and set a deadline before you escalate.

Canonical: https://dev.swirlai.app/blog/how-to-complain-and-actually-get-a-refund
Last updated: 2026-10-27

Say what you want in the first two lines: a refund, a replacement, or a repair. Give the order number, the date, and what happened, in that order. Ask for a reply by a specific date and say what you will do next if it does not come. Complaints that name an outcome get resolved; complaints that describe feelings get a voucher.

Most complaints fail in the first line. 'I am very disappointed with the service I received' tells the person reading it that you want to be acknowledged. 'I am asking for a refund of 84 pounds for order 4471, delivered damaged on 3 October' tells them what to do. The second one gets a refund.

## Name the remedy in the first two lines

Before anything else: what do you want? A refund, a replacement, a repair, a cancellation, or an explanation. One of those. If you ask for 'this to be looked into', you will get an apology and no money.

## Facts in order, feelings once

- Order or account number, and the date.
- What you paid, and what you received.
- What is wrong, in one sentence, with a photo if relevant.
- What you have already tried, and who you spoke to.
- What you want, and by when.

One sentence about how it affected you is fine and can help. Three paragraphs is a diary, and diaries get filed.

## Put it in writing even if you called

A phone call leaves no record you can forward. After the call, send a short email: as discussed today, you agreed to X by Y. If they did not agree, they will correct it, and now you have the correction in writing too.

## Set the deadline and the next step

Fourteen days is reasonable for most consumer complaints. Say what happens after: I will refer this to the ombudsman, or I will dispute the charge with my card issuer. Say it once, calmly, and then actually do it. A threat you do not carry out teaches them your deadlines are decorative.

## Escalate in the right order

Company, then the company's formal complaints procedure, then the regulator or ombudsman for that industry, then your card issuer if you paid by card. Each step wants the same facts plus a reference number from the step before. Keep every reply.

## Do this in Swirl

Name the remedy in the first two lines, or you will get a voucher.

**A normal chat:** A normal chat writes a long, polite letter. Swirl asks for the facts, names the refund, and sets the deadline.

Prompt: Write a complaint under 200 words asking for a refund. Ask me for the order number, the date and what went wrong first.

[Try this in Swirl](https://dev.swirlai.app/?utm_source=blog&utm_medium=how-to-complain-and-actually-get-a-refund)

### What if they offer a voucher instead of a refund?

You can refuse and repeat the request once. If they still refuse, ask for the refusal in writing. A written refusal is what the ombudsman or card issuer needs.

### How long do I have?

It varies by country and by how you paid. Card chargebacks usually have a window of 120 days from the transaction or the expected delivery, so do not sit on it for months.

### Can an AI write the complaint?

Yes, and it is a good use. Give it the dates, the order number, and the outcome you want, and ask for under 200 words. Then cut anything that sounds like a template.

## Related

- [How to read a bill before you pay it](https://dev.swirlai.app/blog/how-to-read-a-bill-before-you-pay-it)
- [How to write a message you are dreading sending](https://dev.swirlai.app/blog/how-to-write-a-message-you-are-dreading)
- [How to explain a letter in plain English](https://dev.swirlai.app/blog/how-to-explain-a-letter)