RitezyNew York legal help
Ask for free

Consumer rights · How to

How to file a consumer complaint with the New York Attorney General (and other agencies)

Updated By The editorial teamNot reviewed by an attorney — based on the official sources below

In short

If a business won't fix a problem, you can file a consumer complaint online with the New York Attorney General's office, which enforces the state's consumer protection laws, or call its helpline at 1-800-771-7755. The Department of State's Division of Consumer Protection also takes complaints and tries to help both sides settle. Car repair shops and dealers go to the DMV, lemon law claims to the Attorney General's lemon law program, and problems with banks, credit cards and credit reports to the federal Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. Try the business first, attach your documents, and say clearly what you want. A complaint isn't a lawsuit, so keep your own court deadlines in mind.

Read on for the details, the exceptions and the sources.

In plain words

Consumer Frauds Bureau
The part of the Attorney General's office that handles consumer complaints and investigates businesses.
Mediation
A neutral office helps you and the business reach an agreement. Nobody is forced to accept a result.
Restitution
Money a court orders a business to pay back to the people it harmed.

Where to go

  • New York Attorney General — most consumer problems: purchases, services, contracts, apps, subscriptions, credit and vehicles. File online at the Attorney General's consumer complaint page, or call 1-800-771-7755 (TDD 1-800-788-9898). The form asks you to choose the office closest to the business, or closest to you if the business is out of state.
  • Department of State, Division of Consumer Protection — complaints it tries to mediate; helpline (800) 697-1220. It can't handle complaints that are already the subject of a lawsuit or other legal action.
  • Department of Motor Vehicles — complaints about repair shops, dealers and inspection stations, using form VS-35.
  • Attorney General's Lemon Law program — arbitration for new and used cars that can't be fixed.
  • Consumer Financial Protection Bureau — bank accounts, credit cards, credit reports, debt collection, loans and money transfers.
  • Some cities and counties have their own consumer affairs offices, which can enforce certain state laws such as the home improvement contract rules (General Business Law § 774(2)).

What documents you need

  • A short timeline: what you bought, when, from whom, and what went wrong.
  • Receipts, contracts, order confirmations and warranties.
  • Ads, screenshots or product pages showing what was promised.
  • Your messages to the business and its replies.
  • Bank or card statements showing what you paid.
  • A clear statement of what you want — a refund, a repair, a cancellation, a corrected bill.

Fees and costs

Neither the Attorney General's nor the Department of State's complaint pages mention any fee for filing a consumer complaint. Lemon law arbitration is different: the law allows a prescribed filing fee (General Business Law § 198-a(k), § 198-b(f)(3)), which the Attorney General's guide says the arbitrator must order returned to you if you win. If you go to small claims court instead, there is a small filing fee.

Deadlines

  • The Attorney General's and Department of State's pages set no deadline for filing a complaint, but complaining soon helps — evidence and memories fade.
  • The DMV can't accept complaints against repair shops after 90 days or 3,000 miles, whichever comes first.
  • Credit card billing errors must reach the card issuer within 60 days after the statement (15 U.S.C. § 1666(a)); bank account errors, within 60 days after the statement (12 C.F.R. § 1005.11(b)).
  • A complaint is not a lawsuit. If you may need to sue, keep track of the time limit for your claim — for example, four years for breach of a sales contract (UCC § 2-725).

Step by step

  1. Try the business first

    Both the Attorney General's form and the Department of State say it is generally best to try to resolve the problem with the company before filing. Do it in writing and keep copies.

  2. Pick the right agency

    Use the list above. When in doubt, the Attorney General's consumer page lets you choose a category, such as purchases, technology, credit or vehicles.

  3. Fill in the form completely

    Stick to the facts, keep it brief, and attach your documents. Give your contact information: the Attorney General's form explains that without it the office can't contact you or contact the business on your behalf.

  4. Save your confirmation

    Keep the confirmation or reference number and a copy of what you submitted.

  5. Follow up

    The Attorney General has a request-status option and a helpline for complaints already filed.

What happens next

The Attorney General's office may contact the business about your complaint, and its form notes it may share complaints with other state, local and federal agencies. Complaints also help the office spot patterns: it can sue businesses for deceptive practices or repeated fraud and obtain injunctions and restitution (General Business Law § 349(b); Executive Law § 63(12)). When it sues, it does so in the name of the People of the State, not as your private lawyer.

The Department of State's Division of Consumer Protection will try to help both sides reach a settlement. At the DMV, a consumer services representative may contact the shop; that usually takes six to eight weeks, and unresolved cases can go to investigation and a hearing, but the DMV cannot force a shop to pay you restitution. The CFPB sends your complaint to the company for a response, and says most companies respond within 15 days.

If a complaint doesn't resolve things, you can still sue — small claims court is designed for consumer disputes and doesn't require a lawyer.

Frequently asked questions

Will the Attorney General get my money back?

It may help: the office can contact the business, and in lawsuits it can obtain restitution for consumers (§ 349(b); Executive Law § 63(12)). But it isn't your private lawyer and can't promise an individual result, so keep your own options open.

Should I complain to the Attorney General or the Department of State?

Either can be a good start for a dispute with a business. The Department of State's Division of Consumer Protection focuses on mediation; the Attorney General also investigates and sues businesses. If your problem involves a car repair shop or dealer, the DMV is usually the right place.

Can I complain and still sue in small claims court?

Yes. Filing a complaint doesn't stop you from suing. Note the DMV says it won't consider restitution if you file or settle in small claims court over a repair shop dispute.

My problem is with a bank or credit card. Where do I go?

The CFPB takes complaints about bank accounts, credit cards, credit reports and other financial products and forwards them to the company. For credit report errors, it notes you must first dispute directly with the credit bureau.

Want your own situation checked?

This page is general. Describe what happened, attach the letter or document you received, and get a free first answer — then, if you want, a full check against New York and federal law and a letter ready to send.

Check my situation — free

Official sources

This page was written from the sources below. “Checked” is the date the source was last opened and read.

Related questions

Related guides

This page is general information based on the official sources listed, current as of the update date. It is not legal advice and does not replace a review of your own situation; if a case is already in court, a deadline is close, the amount is large, or there are criminal, immigration or family-law consequences, talk to a lawyer or legal aid.