Who Can You Complain to at the Federal Level?
October 1st, 2011
(Note that sometimes more than one agency deals with a certain type of advertisement or label, which can get confusing. When in doubt, it’s safest to complain to all the agencies listed for your particular topic.)
| TOPIC | AGENCY |
| AIRLINE | U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) Office of Aviation Enforcement and Proceedings Aviation Consumer Protection Division 1200 New Jersey Ave., SE Washington, D.C. 20590 Phone: (202) 366-2220 https://www.transportation.gov/airconsumer/file-consumer-complaint |
|
ALCOHOL (two agencies share jurisdiction over alcohol advertising and labeling) |
Advertising and Labeling:
Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB) Consumer Response Center |
| COSMETICS | Labeling:
U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Advertising: Federal Trade Commission (FTC) |
| DIETARY SUPPLEMENTS | Labeling:
U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Advertising: Federal Trade Commission (FTC) |
| DRUGS | |
| Prescription drugs | U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) 10903 New Hampshire Ave. Silver Spring, MD 20993-0002 Phone: (888) INFO-FDA (463-6332) http://www.fda.gov/Safety/ReportaProblem/default.htm |
| Over-the-counter drugs | Federal Trade Commission (FTC) Consumer Response Center 600 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW Washington, D.C. 20580 Phone: (877) FTC-HELP (382-4357) https://www.ftccomplaintassistant.gov/ |
| FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS | |
|
Credit card companies (two agencies share jurisdiction over credit card advertising, but the FTC does the lion’s share of the work) |
Federal Trade Commission (FTC) Consumer Response Center 600 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW Washington, D.C. 20580 Phone: (877) FTC-HELP (382-4357) https://www.ftccomplaintassistant.gov/Consumer Financial Protection Bureau 1500 Pennsylvania Ave., N.W. (Attn: 1801 L St.) Washington, D.C. 20220 Phone: (202) 435-7000/(855) 411-CFPB (2372) E-mail: info@consumerfinance.gov https://www.consumerfinance.gov/complaint/ |
|
Credit unions (two agencies oversee credit ads by credit unions) |
National Credit Union Administration (NCUA) 1775 Duke Street Alexandria, VA 22314-3428 Phone: (800) 755-1030 E-mail:consumerassistance@ncua.gov https://www.ncua.gov/about-ncua/inspector-general/hotline Federal Trade Commission (FTC) Consumer Response Center 600 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW Washington, D.C. 20580 Phone: (877) FTC-HELP (382-4357) https://www.ftccomplaintassistant.gov/ |
|
Federal savings associations (two agencies oversee ads by federal savings associations) |
Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) Customer Assistance Group 1301 McKinney Street, Suite 3450 Houston, TX 77010 Phone: (800) 613-6743 http://www.helpwithmybank.gov/complaints/index-file-a-bank-complaint.htmlFederal Trade Commission (FTC) Consumer Response Center 600 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW Washington, D.C. 20580 Phone: (877) FTC-HELP (382-4357) https://www.ftccomplaintassistant.gov/ |
| Investment companies | U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) 100 F Street, N.E. Washington, D.C. 20549 Phone: (202) 942-8088 http://www.sec.gov/complaint/tipscomplaint.shtml |
|
Mortgage brokers and Services (two agencies oversee ads for mortgage brokers and services) |
Federal Trade Commission (FTC) Consumer Response Center 600 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW Washington, D.C. 20580 Phone: (877) FTC-HELP (382-4357) https://www.ftccomplaintassistant.gov/Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) 1500 Pennsylvania Ave., N.W. (Attn: 1801 L St.) Washington, D.C. 20220 Phone: (202) 435-7000/(855) 411-CFPB (2372) E-mail:info@consumerfinance.govhttps://www.consumerfinance.gov/complaint/ |
| National banks | Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) Customer Assistance Group 1301 McKinney Street, Suite 3450 Houston, TX 77010 Phone: (800) 613-6743 http://www.helpwithmybank.gov/complaints/index-file-a-bank-complaint.html |
| State-charted banks | Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) Consumer Response Center 1100 Walnut St., Box #11 Kansas City, MO 64106 Phone: (877) 275-3342 https://ask.fdic.gov/FDICCustomerAssistanceForm/ |
| FOOD | |
| Meat and poultry | Labeling:
Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) Advertising: Federal Trade Commission (FTC) |
|
All food (except meat and poultry) |
Labeling:
U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Advertising: Federal Trade Commission (FTC) |
|
INTERNATIONAL COMPANIES (there are three places you can complain to about ads by international companies) |
Econsumer.gov https://econsumer.ftccomplaintassistant.gov/Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) http://www.ic3.gov/complaint/default.aspxFederal Trade Commission (FTC) Consumer Response Center 600 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW Washington, D.C. 20580 Phone: (877) FTC-HELP (382-4357) https://www.ftccomplaintassistant.gov/ |
|
MAILED ADVERTISEMENTS (two agencies share jurisdiction over mailed ads) |
U.S. Postal Inspection Service Criminal Investigations Service Center Attn: Mail Fraud 222 S. Riverside Plaza, Suite 1250 Chicago, IL 60606-6100 Phone: (877) 876-2455 https://ehome.uspis.gov/fcsexternal/default.aspx Federal Trade Commission (FTC) Consumer Response Center 600 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW Washington, D.C. 20580 Phone: (877) FTC-HELP (382-4357) https://www.ftccomplaintassistant.gov/ |
| MEDICAL DEVICES | |
| Restricted | Labeling and advertising:
U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) |
|
All medical devices (other than restricted) |
Labeling:
U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Advertising: Federal Trade Commission (FTC) |
| ORGANIC CLAIMS IN AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTS | National Organic Program Compliance and Enforcement USDA, Agriculture Marketing Service 1400 Independence Avenue, S.W. Mail Stop 0268 Washington, D.C. 20250 Phone: (202) 720-3252 E-Mail: NOPcompliance@ams.usda.gov NAOPCE web site |
| PESTICIDES | Labeling:
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Advertising: Federal Trade Commission (FTC) |
|
SCHOLARSHIPS, GRANTS & STUDENT LOANS
(two agencies share jurisdiction over ads for scholarships, and grants, and three agencies share jurisdiction over ads for student loans) |
Federal Trade Commission (FTC) Consumer Response Center 600 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW Washington, D.C. 20580 Phone: (877) FTC-HELP (382-4357) https://www.ftccomplaintassistant.gov/U.S. Department of Education (ED) Office of Inspector General 400 Maryland Avenue, SW Washington, D.C. 20202-1500 Phone: (800) MISUSED (647-8733) E-mail: oig.hotline@ed.gov http://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/oig/hotline.htmlConsumer Financial Protection Bureau 1500 Pennsylvania Ave., N.W. (Attn. 1801 L St.) Washington, D.C. 20220 Phone: (202) 435-7000/(855) 411-CFPB (2372) E-mail: info@consumerfinance.gov http://www.consumerfinance.gov/complaint/ |
| SPAM/E-COMMERCE | |
|
General (two agencies share jurisdiction over spam ads, though the FTC seems to do most of the work) |
Federal Trade Commission (FTC) Consumer Response Center 600 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW Washington, D.C. 20580 Phone: (877) FTC-HELP (382-4357) https://www.ftccomplaintassistant.gov/Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) http://www.ic3.gov/complaint/default.aspx |
|
Spam sent to wireless devices, or spam from or regarding communications companies (two agencies share jurisdiction over spam ads sent to cell phones) |
Federal Communications Commission (FCC) 445 12th Street, SW Washington, D.C. 20554 Phone: (888) CALL-FCC (225-5322) E-mail: fccinfo@fcc.gov http://esupport.fcc.gov/complaints.htmInternet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) http://www.ic3.gov/complaint/default.aspx |
| TELECOMMUNICATIONS | |
| Fax | Complaints about substance of ad:
Federal Trade Commission (FTC) Complaints about not wanting to receive the ad: Federal Communications Commission (FCC) |
| Radio | General:
Federal Trade Commission (FTC) Certain ads (i.e., ads for tobacco products, ads that perpetuate a fraud, ads that promote certain lotteries, and obscene, indecent, or profane ads): Federal Communications Commission (FCC) |
| Telephone/telemarketing | Complaints about substance of ad:
Federal Trade Commission (FTC) Complaints about Do-Not-Call Registry: Federal Trade Commission (FTC) Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Complaints about telemarketing before 8 a.m. or after 9 p.m.: Federal Communications Commission (FCC) |
| Television | General:
Federal Trade Commission (FTC) Certain ads (i.e., ads for tobacco products, ads that perpetuate a fraud, ads that promote certain lotteries, and obscene, indecent, or profane ads): Federal Communications Commission (FCC) |
|
TOBACCO (several agencies oversee tobacco advertising and marketing, though the FDA and FTC seem to do the bulk of the work) |
Advertising and labeling:
U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Federal Trade Commission (FTC) Prohibition against lottery features and indecent, immoral picture, print, or representation on packages: Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB) Prohibition against ads on TV or radio: Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Federal Trade Commission (FTC) |
|
EVERYTHING ELSE (not listed above) |
Federal Trade Commission (FTC) Consumer Response Center 600 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW Washington, D.C. 20580 Phone: (877) FTC-HELP (382-4357) https://www.ftccomplaintassistant.gov/ |
Related Posts
Jewelers Vigilance Committee →
Natural Products Foundation →
Econsumer.gov →
