Tennessee AG and CFPB Complaint Pack

TENNESSEE ATTORNEY GENERAL AND CFPB COMPLAINT PACK

TABLE OF CONTENTS

1. Cover Memorandum
2. Tennessee AG / Division of Consumer Affairs Complaint
3. CFPB Consumer Complaint
4. Optional — FTC Report
5. Optional — Tennessee Department of Commerce and Insurance Referral
6. Exhibits and Supporting Documents Inventory
7. Recordkeeping and Follow-Up Calendar
8. Tennessee Practice Notes
9. Sources and References

1. COVER MEMORANDUM

To: Tennessee Attorney General Division of Consumer Affairs; Consumer Financial Protection Bureau

From: [CONSUMER FULL NAME], [CITY, TN]

Date: [__/__/____]

Re: Coordinated consumer complaint — [BUSINESS NAME]

This packet is submitted simultaneously to (a) the Tennessee Attorney General Division of Consumer Affairs under T.C.A. § 47-18-107 and § 47-18-108, and (b) the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau under 12 U.S.C. § 5534. The complaint concerns conduct that I believe is unfair, deceptive, or abusive within the meaning of T.C.A. § 47-18-104 and 12 U.S.C. § 5531.

I request investigation, and where appropriate, regulatory action. I reserve all private rights and remedies, including the private right of action under T.C.A. § 47-18-109 and any applicable federal cause of action.

2. TENNESSEE AG / DIVISION OF CONSUMER AFFAIRS COMPLAINT

Submission method (choose one):

• ☐ Online Portal — https://agtnprod.powerappsportals.us/DCA/
• ☐ Mail — Tennessee Attorney General, Division of Consumer Affairs, P.O. Box 20207, Nashville, TN 37202-0207
• ☐ Phone Intake — (615) 741-4737 or toll-free in Tennessee (800) 342-8385
• ☐ Email — [email protected]

A. Consumer Information

B. Subject of Complaint

C. Transaction Details

C.1. Date of transaction or first contact: [__/__/____].

C.2. Amount in dispute: $[AMOUNT].

C.3. Method of payment: [Cash / Check / Credit Card / ACH / Other].

C.4. How the transaction was solicited: [In person / Telephone / Online / Mail / Door-to-door].

C.5. Was a written contract signed? ☐ Yes ☐ No. If yes, attach a copy.

D. Statement of Facts

D.1. [Provide a chronological narrative of the events. Be specific about dates, names, statements, and amounts. Identify what was promised versus what was delivered. Identify any false or misleading representations.]

D.2. The conduct described above constitutes an unfair or deceptive act or practice under T.C.A. § 47-18-104(b)([specific subsection — e.g., (5) representing that goods/services have characteristics they do not have; (7) representing goods/services are of a particular standard, quality, or grade]).

E. Resolution Sought

• ☐ Refund of $[AMOUNT].
• ☐ Cancellation of contract.
• ☐ Repair or replacement.
• ☐ Cease unlawful conduct.
• ☐ Removal of derogatory credit reporting.
• ☐ Other: [describe].

F. Prior Efforts to Resolve

F.1. I contacted the business on [__/__/____] by [METHOD] and requested [REQUEST]. The response was [RESPONSE].

F.2. I [have / have not] filed a complaint with any other agency. If so: [AGENCY, DATE, REFERENCE NUMBER].

G. Authorization

I authorize the Tennessee Attorney General Division of Consumer Affairs to share this complaint with the business named above and with any other governmental agency necessary to investigate or resolve the matter. The information I have provided is true and correct to the best of my knowledge.

[________________________________]

[CONSUMER FULL NAME]

Date: [__/__/____]

3. CFPB CONSUMER COMPLAINT

Submission method (choose one):

• ☐ Online — https://www.consumerfinance.gov/complaint/
• ☐ Phone — (855) 411-2372 (TTY/TDD: (855) 729-2372)
• ☐ Mail — Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, P.O. Box 27170, Washington, DC 20038
• ☐ Fax — (855) 237-2392

A. Product / Service Categorization

• ☐ Debt collection
• ☐ Credit reporting / repair / consumer reports
• ☐ Mortgage
• ☐ Credit card / prepaid card
• ☐ Checking / savings account
• ☐ Money transfer / virtual currency
• ☐ Payday / title / personal loan
• ☐ Vehicle loan or lease
• ☐ Student loan
• ☐ Other: [describe]

B. Issue Categorization

• ☐ Attempts to collect debt not owed
• ☐ Communication tactics
• ☐ Written notification about debt
• ☐ False statements or representations
• ☐ Threatened to contact someone or share information improperly
• ☐ Took or threatened to take negative or legal action
• ☐ Other: [describe]

C. Narrative (do not include personal information)

[Provide a clear and concise narrative of the company's conduct. Avoid including SSN, account numbers, or other PII; the CFPB will redact, but draft to minimize. Identify dates, amounts, and the specific federal statute(s) you believe were violated, including 15 U.S.C. § 1692 et seq. (FDCPA), 12 U.S.C. § 5531 (UDAAP), 15 U.S.C. § 1681 et seq. (FCRA), or other.]

D. Desired Resolution

• ☐ Stop the company's conduct.
• ☐ Refund or reimbursement.
• ☐ Correct credit report.
• ☐ Other: [describe].

E. Company Response Election

• ☐ I authorize publication of my narrative in the CFPB Consumer Complaint Database (with personal information redacted).
• ☐ I do not authorize publication.

4. OPTIONAL — FTC REPORT

If the complaint involves identity theft, telemarketing, imposter scams, or other matters within FTC jurisdiction:

• ☐ Identity Theft — https://www.identitytheft.gov/
• ☐ General Consumer Fraud — https://reportfraud.ftc.gov/
• ☐ Do-Not-Call Registry violations — https://www.donotcall.gov/

Capture the FTC Report Number: [NUMBER] for use in FCRA blocking and other follow-on actions.

5. OPTIONAL — TENNESSEE DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE AND INSURANCE REFERRAL

The Tennessee Department of Commerce and Insurance retains jurisdiction over licensed entities (insurance carriers, securities brokers, motor-vehicle dealers, alarm contractors, professional licensing, etc.). For these matters:

• ☐ Insurance Division (carriers, agents, adjusters) — (615) 741-2218 — https://www.tn.gov/commerce/insurance.html
• ☐ Securities Division — (615) 741-2947 — https://www.tn.gov/commerce/section/securities.html
• ☐ Motor Vehicle Commission — (615) 741-2711 — https://www.tn.gov/commerce/regboards/mvc.html
• ☐ Regulatory Boards (other licensed professions) — https://www.tn.gov/commerce/section/regulatory-boards.html

Mailing address: 500 James Robertson Parkway, Nashville, TN 37243.

6. EXHIBITS AND SUPPORTING DOCUMENTS INVENTORY

7. RECORDKEEPING AND FOLLOW-UP CALENDAR

• ☐ AG Division of Consumer Affairs reference number: [________________________________] — confirmation expected within ~14 days.
• ☐ CFPB complaint number: [________________________________] — company response generally within 15 days; final response within 60 days.
• ☐ FTC report number (if filed): [________________________________].
• ☐ Department of Commerce and Insurance reference (if applicable): [________________________________].
• ☐ Calendar 30-day, 60-day, and 90-day follow-ups.
• ☐ Calendar TCPA SOL (one year from discovery, T.C.A. § 47-18-110, capped at five years from transaction).
• ☐ Calendar FDCPA SOL (one year from violation, 15 U.S.C. § 1692k(d)).

8. TENNESSEE PRACTICE NOTES

• Current home of the Division of Consumer Affairs. The Division is now housed within the Office of the Tennessee Attorney General (effective September 30, 2019). Mail at P.O. Box 20207, Nashville, TN 37202-0207. Phone (615) 741-4737 or toll-free (800) 342-8385. Email [email protected].
• Statutory authority. T.C.A. § 47-18-5001 vests the Office of the Attorney General with consumer-affairs jurisdiction; § 47-18-107 and § 47-18-108 supply enforcement powers, including investigative demands and AG civil actions.
• 2011 TCPA Amendments — class action ban. Public Chapter 502 (eff. Oct. 1, 2011) eliminated private class actions for TCPA damages. T.C.A. § 47-18-109(a)(1) limits private suits to actions brought "individually." Use the AG complaint route to seek systemic relief; the AG retains broad enforcement authority and may bring representative or aggregate actions. Tie any private TCPA cause of action to a specific enumerated subsection of § 47-18-104(b); the catch-all subsection (b)(27) is not actionable by private plaintiffs.
• Insurance carve-out. T.C.A. § 56-8-113 bars TCPA claims against insurance companies for conduct in the business of insurance. Route those to the Department of Commerce and Insurance.
• AG notice for private suits. T.C.A. § 47-18-109(b) requires service of a copy of any private TCPA complaint on the AG within ten (10) days of filing. The Consumer Affairs complaint and the § 47-18-109(b) notice are distinct obligations.
• CFPB public database. Narratives that the consumer authorizes for publication appear in the CFPB Consumer Complaint Database. Draft narratives accordingly — clear, factual, and free of unredacted PII.
• Coordination. When the conduct is a debt-collection or financial-product issue, simultaneous filing with both the AG and CFPB usually maximizes leverage. For identity-theft and telemarketing issues, add an FTC report.
• Limits of agency action. Neither the AG Division nor the CFPB will adjudicate the consumer's individual claim, recover damages on the consumer's behalf, or substitute for litigation. Preserve private rights.

9. SOURCES AND REFERENCES

• Tennessee AG Division of Consumer Affairs (file complaint) — https://www.tn.gov/attorneygeneral/working-for-tennessee/consumer/file-a-complaint.html
• Tennessee AG Consumer Affairs (overview) — https://www.tn.gov/attorneygeneral/working-for-tennessee/consumer-affairs.html
• AG online complaint portal — https://agtnprod.powerappsportals.us/DCA/
• T.C.A. § 47-18-101 et seq. — https://law.justia.com/codes/tennessee/title-47/chapter-18/
• T.C.A. § 47-18-5001 (Director of Consumer Affairs) — https://law.justia.com/codes/tennessee/title-47/chapter-18/part-50/section-47-18-5001/
• T.C.A. § 47-18-109 (Private right of action) — https://law.justia.com/codes/tennessee/title-47/chapter-18/part-1/section-47-18-109/
• 2011 Public Chapter 502 — https://publications.tnsosfiles.com/acts/107/pub/pc0502.pdf
• CFPB Consumer Complaint — https://www.consumerfinance.gov/complaint/
• CFPB Consumer Complaint Database — https://www.consumerfinance.gov/data-research/consumer-complaints/
• FTC Report Fraud — https://reportfraud.ftc.gov/
• FTC IdentityTheft.gov — https://www.identitytheft.gov/
• Tennessee Department of Commerce and Insurance — https://www.tn.gov/commerce.html

Disclaimer: This template is provided for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. A Tennessee-licensed attorney should review your facts before submission. Statutes and agency procedures change; verify all citations and contact details before use.