Federal Trade Commission (FTC)

Where: ReportFraud.ftc.gov

When to use

Any deceptive subscription practice, dark patterns, unauthorized charges, or cancellation obstruction.

What to include

• Company name and website
• Date you attempted to cancel and how (online, phone, email, mail)
• What happened — specific steps you took and what the company did
• Screenshots if you have them
• Amount charged after your cancellation attempt (if applicable)

What to expect

The FTC does not resolve individual complaints. They use complaint data to identify patterns and decide which companies to investigate. Your individual complaint may not result in action, but it contributes to a body of evidence. The more complaints about a company, the more likely an investigation. File anyway.

Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB)

Where: consumerfinance.gov/complaint

When to use

Unauthorized charges, billing disputes related to subscriptions, or debt collection from a subscription you already canceled.

What to include

• Company name and your account/reference number
• Dates and amounts of unauthorized charges
• Documentation of your cancellation (confirmation number, screenshots, email)
• Any correspondence with the company about the charges

What to expect

The CFPB forwards your complaint to the company and requires a response. Companies respond to CFPB complaints because they're tracked publicly. This is often faster than the FTC route for individual resolution.

Your State Attorney General

Where: Search "[your state] attorney general consumer complaint" — every state has a form.

When to use

Violations of state-specific automatic renewal or cancellation laws (see our state-by-state guide). Also for companies that ignore cancellation requests or continue charging after documented cancellation.

What to include

• The specific state law you believe was violated, if you know it
• Documentation of your cancellation attempt (dates, method, confirmation)
• Charges that occurred after the cancellation

What to expect

State AGs can take legal action against companies that violate state consumer protection laws. California, New York, and Illinois are particularly active in subscription-related enforcement. State AG complaints also count toward enforcement priorities.

Better Business Bureau (BBB)

Where: bbb.org/file-a-complaint

When to use

When you want a public record and a likely company response. The BBB is not a regulatory agency, but many companies respond quickly to protect their rating.

What to expect

The company is notified and asked to respond. Most companies respond within 30 days. The complaint and response become part of the company's public BBB profile. Useful when other channels haven't produced a response.

Credit Card Dispute (Chargeback)

Where: Your credit card issuer — call the number on the back of your card, or use the dispute feature in your banking app.

When to use

As a last resort, when a company has charged you after you've requested cancellation and has refused to issue a refund. The Fair Credit Billing Act gives you the right to dispute unauthorized charges within 60 days of the statement date.

What to include

• Date and method of your cancellation request
• Date of the unauthorized charge
• Any confirmation number or documentation from the cancellation
• A statement that you did not authorize the charge

What to expect

Your bank will open a dispute. The charge may be temporarily credited while the dispute is investigated. The company has a chance to respond. If they can't prove you authorized the charge, you win. Companies that accumulate too many chargebacks face penalties from payment processors — that's why this is effective. See our full chargeback guide for detailed instructions.

Important: Chargebacks should be a last resort after good-faith cancellation attempts have failed, not a first step.