Tip Of The Day: Don't Like An Item? Complain.

If you feel a product, service, or other item did not perform as advertised or promised, you can complain.

If you are complaining in person, do it in an orderly, professional and courteous manner. Remember that your problem may not be as apparent to others as it is to you, so you don't want to put everyone on defense before you've had a chance to voice your problem.

If you are complaining online or in a letter, contact the customer service department and find out exactly who you are sending this letter to. What is their name and address, and you may want to send it certified mail, to be sure that it was received and signed for. Be sure to include all pertinent information in your letter such as date of purchase, serial numbers, receipts (always send copies, never originals) correspondence, etc.

And make sure your spelling is accurate, nothing sends a letter into the garbage faster then bad grammar and spelling mistakes.

If you are sending the product back at your own expense, make sure it gets there by insuring the item. That way if the company claims they never got it, you can prove that it was sent and received, in order to get your refund.

And if complaining to the company gets you knowhere, you can take the next step and file a complaint with the Better Business Bureau at www.bbb.org or your city or state's Department of Consumer Affairs or Attorney General's Office. Plus you can also take them to small claims court to enforce your rights and make your point.