AG / DCP / CFPB Consumer Complaint Pack - Connecticut

REGULATORY COMPLAINT PACKET — CONNECTICUT (CT AG + CT DCP + CFPB)

SECTION 0 — COMPLAINT INTAKE WORKSHEET

SECTION A — COMPLAINT TO THE CONNECTICUT ATTORNEY GENERAL

Office of the Attorney General

State of Connecticut

165 Capitol Avenue

Hartford, Connecticut 06106

Phone: (860) 808-5318 — Consumer Assistance: (860) 808-5420

Online: https://portal.ct.gov/AG (e-Complaint: https://www.dir.ct.gov/ag/complaint/)

Date: [__/__/____]

Re: Consumer Complaint — Possible Violation of Conn. Gen. Stat. § 42-110b (CUTPA)

To the Office of the Attorney General:

I respectfully submit this complaint pursuant to Conn. Gen. Stat. § 42-110a et seq. (Connecticut Unfair Trade Practices Act, "CUTPA"). I believe [COMPANY NAME] has engaged in unfair or deceptive acts or practices in the conduct of trade or commerce within the meaning of Conn. Gen. Stat. § 42-110b.

A.1 Parties

A.2 Statement of Facts

A.2.1. On or about [__/__/____], I [describe initial transaction or contact].

A.2.2. [Chronological narrative of conduct — what was promised, what happened, what was misrepresented, what damage was caused, what attempts at resolution were made.]

A.2.3. As a result of the foregoing, I have suffered an ascertainable loss of approximately $[AMOUNT], consisting of [itemize damages].

A.3 Why the Conduct Violates CUTPA

The conduct violates Conn. Gen. Stat. § 42-110b under the "cigarette rule" of Cheshire Mortgage Service, Inc. v. Montes, 223 Conn. 80 (1992) because:

(a) the conduct offends established public policy (cite [FDCPA / FCRA / TILA / state licensing statute / CCPA / etc.]);

(b) the conduct is immoral, unethical, oppressive, or unscrupulous; and

(c) the conduct caused substantial injury to consumers, which they could not reasonably avoid and which is not outweighed by countervailing benefits.

A.4 Requested Action

I respectfully request that the Office of the Attorney General:

• Investigate [COMPANY] and, if appropriate, bring an enforcement action under Conn. Gen. Stat. § 42-110m;
• Seek restitution, civil penalties of up to $5,000 per wilful violation under Conn. Gen. Stat. § 42-110o, disgorgement, and injunctive relief;
• Coordinate with the Connecticut Department of Consumer Protection, the CFPB, the FTC, or other regulators as appropriate; and
• Mediate, where practicable, the dispute described above.

A.5 Documents Attached

• ☐ Contract / receipts / order confirmation
• ☐ Correspondence (letters, emails, texts, voicemails) with the company
• ☐ Account statements
• ☐ Advertising materials
• ☐ Prior complaints to the company
• ☐ Police report or other regulatory complaints
• ☐ Other: [______]

A.6 Authorization

I authorize the Office of the Attorney General to share this complaint and supporting documents with [COMPANY NAME] and other appropriate state and federal agencies. I understand that this complaint may become part of the public record under the Connecticut Freedom of Information Act.

[________________________________]

[CONSUMER NAME]

Date: [__/__/____]

SECTION B — COMPLAINT TO THE CONNECTICUT DEPARTMENT OF CONSUMER PROTECTION (DCP)

Connecticut Department of Consumer Protection

450 Columbus Boulevard, Suite 901

Hartford, Connecticut 06103-1840

Phone: (860) 713-6300 | Email: [email protected] | Fax: (860) 707-1966

Online: https://portal.ct.gov/dcp/file-a-complaint

Date: [__/__/____]

Re: Consumer Complaint — [CATEGORY: e.g., Home Improvement / Motor Vehicle / Trade Practices / Occupational Licensing]

To the Commissioner of Consumer Protection:

I file this complaint pursuant to the Department's authority under Conn. Gen. Stat. § 21a-2 and the Department's complaint-intake procedures.

B.1 Consumer Information

(Same as Section 0 worksheet above.)

B.2 Subject Business

B.3 Description of Complaint

B.3.1. [Narrative — concise statement of the dispute, dates, dollar amounts, and the resolution sought.]

B.3.2. The conduct violates one or more of the following Connecticut consumer-protection laws:

• ☐ Conn. Gen. Stat. § 42-110b (CUTPA — unfair or deceptive practices)
• ☐ Conn. Gen. Stat. § 20-417a et seq. (Home Improvement Act)
• ☐ Conn. Gen. Stat. § 42-179 et seq. (New Vehicle Lemon Law)
• ☐ Conn. Gen. Stat. § 42a-2 (UCC — sale of goods)
• ☐ Conn. Gen. Stat. § 42-134a et seq. (Door-to-Door Home Solicitation Sales Act)
• ☐ Conn. Gen. Stat. § 42-260 et seq. (Telephone Sales / Telemarketing)
• ☐ Conn. Gen. Stat. §§ 42-151 to 42-158 (Plain Language Consumer Contracts)
• ☐ Other: [______]

B.4 Resolution Requested

• ☐ Refund of $[AMOUNT]
• ☐ Repair / replacement
• ☐ Cancellation of contract
• ☐ Investigation of license / certification
• ☐ Mediation
• ☐ Other: [______]

B.5 Authorization and Acknowledgement

I authorize DCP to share this complaint with the subject business. I understand the complaint becomes a public record under Connecticut FOIA. I have not knowingly omitted material information.

[________________________________]

[CONSUMER NAME]

Date: [__/__/____]

SECTION C — COMPLAINT TO THE CONSUMER FINANCIAL PROTECTION BUREAU (CFPB)

Consumer Financial Protection Bureau

P.O. Box 27170

Washington, DC 20038

Phone: (855) 411-2372 (TTY/TDD: (855) 729-2372)

Online (preferred): https://www.consumerfinance.gov/complaint/

Date: [__/__/____]

Re: CFPB Consumer Complaint — [Product: Credit Card / Mortgage / Debt Collection / Credit Reporting / Auto Loan / Student Loan / Money Transfer / Bank Account / Prepaid Card / Payday Loan]

To the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau:

I submit this complaint regarding [COMPANY NAME] for processing under the CFPB consumer-response procedures described in 12 U.S.C. § 5534. The financial product or service involved is [DESCRIPTION].

C.1 Product / Issue Categorization (CFPB taxonomy)

C.2 Narrative (suggested 4–6 short paragraphs)

C.2.1. What happened? — [chronology with dates and amounts].

C.2.2. Have you contacted the company? — ☐ Yes (date: [______]) ☐ No. Result: [______].

C.2.3. Desired resolution — [refund, correction of credit report, cease collection, written response, etc.].

C.2.4. Documents attached — [list].

C.3 Authorization

I authorize the CFPB to share this complaint and my contact information with [COMPANY NAME] so that the company may respond. I understand companies generally respond within 15 days and, in some cases, provide a final response within 60 days, and that complaint information may appear in the public Consumer Complaint Database under the CFPB's publication process.

[________________________________]

[CONSUMER NAME]

Date: [__/__/____]

SECTION D — OPTIONAL SECONDARY REGULATORS

Where the conduct involves a specialized industry, file the appropriate parallel complaint:

SECTION E — COMPLAINT TRACKING LOG

SECTION F — CONNECTICUT PRACTICE NOTES

• AG vs. DCP — which one? Use the AG for cross-industry CUTPA matters, mass-market deception, scams, and matters not tied to a specific licensed occupation. Use DCP for licensed-trade complaints (home improvement, used-car dealer, real-estate salesperson, pharmacy, food-safety, occupational licensing) and for CUTPA matters within DCP's enforcement portfolio. Filing with both is permissible and often advisable.
• CUTPA private right of action. Filing a regulatory complaint does NOT bar a private CUTPA suit (Conn. Gen. Stat. § 42-110g). Watch the 3-year SOL in § 42-110g(f) and the 1-year SOLs under FDCPA / CCPA.
• CUTPA notice (§ 42-110g(c)). Note: if the consumer later files a private CUTPA action, copies of the complaint must be sent to the AG ([email protected]) and DCP Commissioner. The pre-suit complaint here does not satisfy that filing requirement.
• CFPB response cycle. Most companies respond within 15 days; some mark the response in progress and provide a final response within 60 days. The CFPB does not adjudicate disputes but does collect and publish complaint data and may open supervisory or enforcement actions.
• Public-record warning. Connecticut FOIA treats agency complaints as public records, subject to limited exemptions. Redact account numbers (keep last 4), full SSNs, and minor children's information.
• Servicemember protections. Active-duty servicemembers may also file with the CFPB Office of Servicemember Affairs and with the DOJ Servicemembers and Veterans Initiative.
• Senior consumers. Connecticut elder-fraud matters may also be reported to the AG's Elder Justice Section and to the DCP. Consider filing with the FTC Senior Sentinel and AARP Fraud Watch Network.
• Document hygiene. Keep a chronological evidence file (originals at home, copies in submission). Never submit originals.
• Mediation. Both AG and DCP staff may conduct informal mediation but cannot represent the consumer; private counsel is advisable for material disputes.

SECTION G — SOURCES AND REFERENCES

• Connecticut Office of the Attorney General — https://portal.ct.gov/AG
• File a Complaint — https://portal.ct.gov/ag/services/file-a-complaint
• e-Complaint Form — https://www.dir.ct.gov/ag/complaint/
• CUTPA Action Notices ([email protected]) — https://portal.ct.gov/ag/general/cutpa-action-notices
• Connecticut Department of Consumer Protection — https://portal.ct.gov/dcp
• File a Complaint — https://portal.ct.gov/dcp/file-a-complaint
• Trade Practices / CUTPA — https://portal.ct.gov/dcp/trade-practices-division/about-the-connecticut-unfair-trade-practices-act-cutpa
• Consumer Financial Protection Bureau — https://www.consumerfinance.gov/
• Submit a Complaint — https://www.consumerfinance.gov/complaint/
• Federal Trade Commission — https://reportfraud.ftc.gov/
• CT Department of Banking — https://portal.ct.gov/DOB
• CT Insurance Department — https://portal.ct.gov/cid
• Conn. Gen. Stat. Chapter 735a (CUTPA) — https://www.cga.ct.gov/current/pub/chap_735a.htm
• Conn. Gen. Stat. Chapter 416 (Department of Consumer Protection) — https://www.cga.ct.gov/current/pub/chap_416.htm
• Conn. Gen. Stat. Chapter 669 (Regulated Activities — Banking / CCPA) — https://www.cga.ct.gov/current/pub/chap_669.htm
• Cheshire Mortgage Service, Inc. v. Montes, 223 Conn. 80 (1992)
• Hinchliffe v. Am. Motors Corp., 184 Conn. 607 (1981)

Disclaimer: This template is provided for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. An attorney licensed in Connecticut should review and customize this packet, particularly where a regulatory complaint will overlap with private litigation. Statutes and agency procedures change frequently; verify all authorities and contact information before submission.