Guides / CA

How to file a complaint against a business in California

California consumers have four separate channels, and they do different jobs. The state regulator applies legal pressure, the BBB forces a public answer, federal agencies build the record, and public reviews reach the next customer. Use more than one.

1. The California Attorney General

Your state's consumer-protection office takes complaints against businesses operating in California. It will not act as your personal lawyer, but complaints are logged, patterns against a single business trigger investigations, and the filing itself often produces a refund offer.

Open the CA consumer complaint page

Have ready: the business's legal name and address, dates, amounts, invoice numbers and copies of your correspondence.

2. The Better Business Bureau

The BBB gives the business a deadline to answer in public, and its profiles rank highly when someone searches the company name. Read the step-by-step BBB guide before you file.

3. Federal regulators

FTC — reportfraud.ftc.gov for deceptive or unfair business practices.
CFPB for banks, lenders, credit reporting and debt collection.

4. Public reviews

Regulators are slow and mostly invisible. A factual public review is what the next California customer actually sees.