File a Complaint
The Attorney General’s Office welcomes complaints from constituents on a large variety of matters. If you have experienced a consumer problem, we want to hear from you!
You may request help resolving a problem with a business or report fraud to us using one of the forms listed below. We strongly encourage you to file your complaint using our online complaint forms as it is the quickest way for us to receive and process your complaint.
Please provide as much information as you can. Attach copies of any relevant documents, such as bills, contracts, canceled checks, correspondence, or advertisements. Do not send us your original documents.
Reports from constituents help us to:
- identify potential violations of Minnesota law,
- identify new problems occurring in the marketplace,
- build lawsuits against companies who violate state laws, and
- educate the public about emerging scams.
If you have experienced a consumer problem that doesn’t seem right, we would like to hear about it. Even if we have already started a lawsuit, information from consumers may provide important evidence for our case.
The Consumer Action Division (“CAD”) Team
The Minnesota Attorney General’s Consumer Action Division is comprised of non-attorney staff who want to assist you with your problem. It is likely that if you contact this Office by phone or in writing, that you will be working directly with a member of the CAD staff.
CAD offers an informal complaint resolution service to Minnesota state residents. Through this process, we contact businesses to attempt to voluntarily resolve consumer disputes. We cannot force a company to respond, but we positively resolve many complaints that we receive. In addition to mediation, we may provide consumers with other agencies that have more robust enforcement authority.
The Minnesota Attorney General's Office cannot file lawsuits on behalf of individual constituents. Additionally, we cannot provide legal advice, interpretation of statute, or legal research for the public. We also do not have attorneys available to consult with the public.
Each month our office receives more than 4500 calls and more than 1400 written requests asking for help or information. Many of the constituent inquiries fall into the same categories. In some cases, these inquiries can more efficiently be handled by the agency that specializes in the area of the complaint. In order to help serve you in a timelier fashion, we ask that you visit our FAQ page or call and speak to a CAD staff member directly.
The Complaint Process
Our staff will evaluate your complaint.
- If your complaint is within our area of responsibility:
- The complaint will be assigned to a staff member, typically within two days of when the complaint is submitted. We recommend that you wait three (3) business days after submitting the complaint to call the Office, unless the complaint is time sensitive.
- In most cases that person will send a copy of your complaint letter, and any supporting documents, to the business and ask for a response.
- In the initial letter that we send you, we will include the contact information for the member of the group assigned to your file.
- We request that the company respond to our complaint within a reasonable timeframe. In some case, companies may ask for extensions, and final responses may take up to 60 days. That said, most of our company responses are received within one month.
- If we don’t get a response within a reasonable time, we will attempt to contact the company again.
- In many cases the business will respond with a satisfactory solution, that we will forward on to you, and the case will be closed.
- In some cases we may not be the best venue to address your concerns. In those cases, we may reach out to tell you about what steps you can take to resolve the situation, including referrals to appropriate regulators, agencies, or lawmakers. We may also suggest that you consult with a private attorney.
What if the business does NOT cooperate?
This office cannot compel a company to resolve a complaint. In cases where voluntary mediation is not successful, we will inform you of your options, and may recommend that you seek a private attorney, or provide you with information about Conciliation (small claims) court. The state Consumer Protection Act provides a remedy for individuals who have been harmed by unfair or deceptive business practices. If you are successful in such a suit you may also recover the costs of bringing suit, including your attorney’s fees.
For more information on the process of Conciliation/Small Claims Court, please review our publication Conciliation Court: A User's Guide to Small Claims Court.
When does the AGO bring a lawsuit?
While the Minnesota Attorney General cannot give you legal representation or sue a company on your behalf, we can file a lawsuit against companies who have established a pattern and practice of illegal behavior. Accordingly, even if we are unable to a resolve a complaint to your satisfaction, your complaint remains part of our record, and we may use this information to take enforcement action or advocate for legislative change.
Consumer Assistance Request Form
If you need help with a consumer problem and would like the Attorney General’s Office to contact the organization on your behalf, please use our Online Consumer Assistance Request Form.
We mediate consumer complaints related to issues like false advertising, deceptive business practices, unfair debt collection practices, defective products, home repair scams, auto sales issues, healthcare provider disputes, and other violations of consumer protection laws; essentially, any situation where a consumer feels they have been treated unfairly by a company.
The Consumer Assistance Request Form is available in:
Antitrust Report Form
This Antitrust Report Form is for individuals and businesses in Minnesota who want to report anticompetitive activity that may violate the antitrust laws. The Minnesota Attorney General’s Office cannot respond to all reports the Office receives but will use reports to identify potential antitrust violations and monitor emerging problems in the marketplace
The Antitrust Report Form is available in:
Charity/Nonprofit Report Form
We welcome complaints from anyone who experiences a problem or has a concern with a charitable or nonprofit organization or a professional fundraiser for a charity or nonprofit. Complaints from members of the public help us to identify potential violations of Minnesota law and new issues occurring in the charity and nonprofit sectors. For more information on charitable and nonprofit organizations and how to file a Charity/Nonprofit Report Form, please see the Charities homepage.
The Charity/Nonprofit Report Form is available in:
Minnesota Tenant Report Form
The Tenant Report Form is only for tenants in Minnesota who want to report a concern regarding their landlord. The Minnesota Attorney General’s Office cannot respond to all reports it receives but will use reports to identify potential violations of Minnesota law and monitor emerging problems occurring in the marketplace.
The Minnesota Tenant Report Form is available in:
Robocall Report Form
Use this Robocall Report Form to report any phone calls that you suspect are from robocall scammers. The Attorney General’s Office may use the data you submit to track and prevent illegal robocalling.
The Robocall Report Form is available in:
Sale of Illegal Vaping Products Report Form
Use this form to report the marketing or sale of illegal flavored e-cigarettes, electronic nicotine delivery systems (ENDS), or oral nicotine pouch products to Minnesota consumers.
The Sale of Illegal Vaping Products Report Form is available in:
Social Media Use and Addiction Report Form
Use this form to report any problems that you or someone you know is having with social media use and addiction.
The Social Media Use and Addiction Report Form is available in:
Veteran Complaint Form
To better assist veterans and service members, the Minnesota Attorney General’s Office has created this form to help veterans, service members, and their families report companies and individuals claiming to provide veterans benefits assistance. If you or someone you know was possibly scammed by a company or individual claiming to assist with securing veterans benefits, please complete this form.
The Veteran Complaint Form is available in:
Wage Theft Complaint Form
Wage Theft occurs when an employer does not pay an employee everything they are owed by law. Examples of Wage Theft include: paying less than the minimum wage, requiring or allowing work off the clock without pay, not paying time-and-a-half for overtime, not paying earned tips, unlawful paycheck deductions, not paying a final check upon separation of employment, and misclassifying employees as independent contractors. If any of these situations apply to you, please fill out the Complaint Form below.
The Wage Theft Complaint Form is available in:
Questions
If you have questions about whether you should send us a report about a particular business or would like our assistance in filling out our Consumer Assistance Request Form or have questions about which form to use, please call our Office at (651) 296-3353 (Twin Cities Calling Area) or (800) 657-3787 (Outside the Twin Cities), Monday through Friday. Please remember that we are not authorized to give legal advice to or act on behalf of individual constituents in private legal matters (e.g. wills, child support, divorce, criminal proceedings, etc.) If you need assistance in contacting a private attorney, see our publication Hiring an Attorney for information.
PLEASE NOTE: If you have been victimized by a crime, you should contact your local police or sheriff’s department and county attorney. The Minnesota Legislature has given these agencies the authority to investigate and prosecute criminal matters.
