Guide

AI prompts for complaints and refunds that work: letters, returns, delays and unwanted subscriptions

Published 7 October 2026

A desk with a printed complaint letter, a receipt, a parcel and a laptop showing an email draft

Short answerState the facts, say what you want and give a date. Ask the AI for a short, calm letter with a clear request, keep copies of everything and check your consumer rights for your own country before you quote any rule.

Black Friday and the Christmas rush mean a lot of returns, late deliveries and surprise charges. Most complaints fail for one reason: they are written while angry, they are long, and they never say what the writer wants. A short, calm message with the facts and a clear request is much more likely to reach someone who can help.

The pattern that works

Every good complaint has four parts: what happened (with dates and order numbers), what went wrong, what you want (a refund, a replacement, a repair) and by when. AI is very good at fitting your facts into that shape and removing the heat.

1. The formal complaint letter

Use the formal complaint letter prompt:

prompt — 8 blanks

Write a formal complaint letter. Company: [NAME]. What I bought or used: [ITEM / SERVICE], on [DATE], order number [NUMBER]. What went wrong: [FACTS]. What I have already done: [CONTACTED THEM ON DATES]. What I want: [REFUND / REPLACEMENT / REPAIR] by [DATE].
Keep it under 200 words. Polite, factual and firm. Do not threaten legal action or quote any law.

"Do not quote any law" is deliberate. Consumer rules differ by country and state, and a wrong citation weakens your case. If you want to mention your rights, look them up first on an official consumer advice website.

Keep your tone polite even if you are angry. The person reading your message did not cause the problem, and they are more likely to help someone who is clear and calm.

2. Returns and refunds

The refund request prompt writes a short message asking for a refund or return politely. Add the order number, the reason and whether you want money back or an exchange. Keep the receipt, the packaging and photos if the item arrived damaged.

3. If your message got angry

If you have already drafted something furious, paste it into the calm angry email prompt. It keeps your point and removes the language that gets a reply ignored. It is worth doing before you press send.

4. Flights that went wrong

For a delayed or cancelled flight, the airline delay complaint prompt puts the flight number, dates and your costs into a clear message. Check the passenger-rights rules for your route on an official site before you state what you are owed.

5. If you are the one being billed

If a business or client disputes your invoice, the invoice dispute reply prompt helps you answer calmly, with the facts and a next step. Read the contract before you reply.

6. Stop paying for things you forgot

Subscriptions are the quiet drain. The subscription audit prompt turns a list from your bank statement into a table of what to keep, pause or cancel, and in what order. Many companies make cancelling harder than signing up, so keep the confirmation email when you do it.

If you do not get a reply

Wait for the date you set, then send one short follow-up that repeats the request. If it still goes nowhere, look up the official complaints route for that industry in your country, such as an ombudsman or consumer advice body. Keep your copies of everything.