Playbooks

Review a business, by industry

Every industry has a regulator that takes complaints alongside the review sites, and a specific set of documents that decides whether you win. Pick yours.

• Auto repair shopRepair disputes turn on paperwork: the estimate you approved, the work actually performed, and the invoice you were handed.
• Contractor / home remodelerHome improvement complaints are the highest-value consumer disputes most people ever file, and the licensing board matters as much as the review.
• Moving companyMovers who hold a load hostage or double the quote at the truck are a federal matter when the move crosses a state line.
• Landlord / property managerSecurity deposit and habitability disputes have statutory deadlines, and missing one usually costs the landlord more than the deposit.
• DentistDental complaints split cleanly in two: clinical care goes to the dental board, billing goes to the review sites and the insurer.
• VeterinarianVet disputes are emotional, which is exactly why a factual, dated account is the version that stays published.
• Car dealershipDealership complaints almost always come down to the difference between the advertised deal and the numbers on the finance contract.
• HVAC companyEmergency pricing and unnecessary replacements are the two complaints that dominate heating and cooling.
• PlumberPlumbing complaints are mostly about a bill that grew after the water was already off.
• Roofing companyStorm-chasing roofers and insurance-funded jobs generate the largest share of home-services complaints in the country.
• RestaurantFood service reviews are read more than any other category, so specificity is what separates a review that changes minds from noise.
• HotelHotel disputes are booked, charged, and confirmed in writing, which makes them among the easiest complaints to prove.
• Gym / fitness studioGym complaints are cancellation complaints. Most states have a health-club statute that overrides the contract.
• Wedding vendorDeposits are large, the date is fixed, and there is no second chance — which is why these complaints deserve the full record.
• Debt collectorCollection conduct is federally regulated, and a single documented violation can be worth statutory damages.
• Insurance companyClaim denials are reviewable by a state regulator that insurers are legally required to answer.
• AirlineAir travel is one of the few industries where a federal complaint reliably moves money.
• Internet / cable providerISP billing complaints are the most common consumer complaint in the country, and the FCC docket is public.
• Law firmFee disputes and neglected cases go to the state bar, which has its own fee arbitration programme in most states.
• Daycare / childcareLicensing complaints here are inspected quickly, and inspection findings become public record.
• Pest control companyAnnual contracts and 'guaranteed' treatments make this a cancellation and warranty category.
• Online store / e-commerce sellerUndelivered orders and refused refunds are chargeback territory first, review territory second.
• Salon / barberCosmetology boards license every operator, and sanitation or damage complaints are inspected.
• Storage facilityRate hikes, lien sales and water damage make self-storage a documentation game.