Complaining in a Shop and Returning Things

English complaining has a specific register: firm about the facts, mild about the person. Get that balance and you will usually get what you want. The shop vocabulary itself — sizes, fitting rooms, receipts — is a separate set.

The opening

Start by signalling that a complaint is coming. It gives the other person a moment to switch mode.

• Excuse me, I've got a bit of a problem with this.
• Sorry, but I think there's been a mistake.
• I bought this yesterday and unfortunately it doesn't work.

Sorry here does not mean you did something wrong. It is a softener, and English speakers use it constantly when complaining.

Stating the problem

Describe the item, not the person.

✅ It's faulty. / It doesn't work. / There's a hole in it. ✅ This isn't what I ordered. ✅ I've been charged twice. ❌ You sold me a broken thing. (accusing)

The grammar does this work for you: a passive or an it subject keeps the person out of the sentence. I was charged twice · It arrived damaged · There seems to be a fault.

Saying what you want

A complaint without a request is just a mood. Name the outcome.

• I'd like a refund, please.
• Could I exchange it?
• Could you replace it?
• I'd like to speak to the manager, please.

Refund = money back. Exchange = different item. Replace = same item, new one.

The words that carry weight

Certain phrases signal that you know your position, and they change the response noticeably:

• It's faulty. (not simply unwanted — this is the key word)
• It's not fit for purpose.
• It's still under warranty.
• I bought it less than 30 days ago.
• What's your returns policy?
• This doesn't affect my statutory rights. (UK)

Note the distinction shops care about: faulty means broken and you are entitled to a remedy; changed my mind means you're relying on the shop's goodwill.

In a restaurant

• Excuse me, I ordered the chicken, not the fish.
• This is cold, I'm afraid.
• Could we have a different table? This one's a bit draughty.
• I think there's a mistake on the bill.
• I'm sorry, but I did say no nuts — I'm allergic.

Say something while the meal is happening, not afterwards. A complaint at the till about food you finished carries very little weight.

Online orders

• My order hasn't arrived. · It's three days late.
• I've received the wrong item.
• It arrived damaged.
• Could you send me a return label?
• How long does the refund take?
• I'd like to cancel my order.

Have ready: the order number, the date, and a photo if something arrived damaged.

Complaining in writing

An email complaint follows a fixed four-part shape:

I ordered a kettle on 3 May (order 481-2290). It arrived on the 7th, but the lid is cracked.

I've attached a photo.

I'd like a replacement, or a refund if that's not possible.

Could you let me know by Friday?

Facts, evidence, the outcome you want, and a deadline. No anger — the specificity does the work.

Escalating politely

If the first answer is no:

1. Is there anything you can do?
2. Could I speak to someone else?
3. What's your returns policy?
4. I'd like to make a formal complaint.

The tone stays even the whole way. In English, escalation comes from specificity and persistence, not volume — raising your voice in a British shop typically loses you the argument.

What they may ask

• Have you got the receipt?
• Do you have the original packaging?
• When did you buy it?
• Was it like that when you bought it?

Be soft with the person and hard with the facts. The assistant did not make the kettle. Directing frustration at them turns a solvable problem into a confrontation you will lose, while a calm, specific account — date, fault, what you want — gives them something they can actually act on and a reason to want to.

A return that goes well

A: Hi, sorry — I bought this last week and unfortunately it's stopped working.

B: Oh dear. Have you got the receipt?

A: I have, here. It's faulty rather than anything I've done — it wouldn't switch on this morning.

B: I can exchange it or refund it, whichever you prefer.

A: A refund, please. Thank you for sorting it out.

Sorry as a softener, faulty as the operative word, a clear request, and thanks at the end.

Test yourself

The quiz below is about phrasing and escalation.