To threaten or not to threaten in a letter asking for a reimbursement?

[Theo G]

What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)? Washington State

I am writing to a company and asking for a refund. I wrote a polite letter attempting to resolve the issue directly and quickly, however I was told by others (my proofreaders) to *not* be polite and instead make a threat to get the Attorney General and lawyers involved if necessary.

While I have no problem bringing my issue to the attention of the Attorney General (Washington State), I didn't want to come across in my letter as hostile and threatening jerk which could potentially make this vendor become hostile and less likely to cooperate with me.

I am interested to know: Should I be polite/calm in my letter OR should I be aggressive and straight-to-the-point and threaten to get the Attorney General involved? This is the first correspondence so should any reference to the Attorney General be left out of it, or should I openly state that failure to cooperate will result in this matter being brought to the attention of the Attorney General?

Thanks in advance for any advice.

 

[quincy]

What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)? Washington State

I am writing to a company and asking for a refund. I wrote a polite letter attempting to resolve the issue directly and quickly, however I was told by others (my proofreaders) to *not* be polite and instead make a threat to get the Attorney General and lawyers involved if necessary.

While I have no problem bringing my issue to the attention of the Attorney General (Washington State), I didn't want to come across in my letter as hostile and threatening jerk which could potentially make this vendor become hostile and less likely to cooperate with me.

I am interested to know: Should I be polite/calm in my letter OR should I be aggressive and straight-to-the-point and threaten to get the Attorney General involved? This is the first correspondence so should any reference to the Attorney General be left out of it, or should I openly state that failure to cooperate will result in this matter being brought to the attention of the Attorney General?

Thanks in advance for any advice.

There are pros and cons to both approaches.

If you cannot back up threats with legitimate action, though, they should be left out of any letter.

Depending on the amount of money involved in the dispute, you could be smart to have your letter reviewed by a professional prior to sending it or, better, have a professional draft and send it for you.

Good luck.

 

[Zigner]

In my opinion, the best way to start is by remembering the old adage you get more flies with honey than with vinegar.

 

[OHRoadwarrior]

Each situation has its pro's and con's. If you would tell us the background info, we can give more definite guidance.

 

[single317dad]

Personally, I tend toward civility on the first (and, usually, each subsequent) contact. There are ways to say "give me my money or I'll sue you" without the overt hostility.

 

[racer72]

Speaking from experience, the Attorney General for the state of Washington will not help you in a civil matter unless the problem affects many people. His office gets a couple hundred complaints a week, most get a nice letter from the office stating there is nothing they can do.