Washington AG and CFPB Complaint Pack

WASHINGTON AG AND CFPB COMPLAINT PACK

TABLE OF CONTENTS

1. Pre-Filing Checklist
2. Part A — Washington Attorney General Complaint
3. Part B — CFPB Complaint
4. Part C — Parallel Filings (Optional)
5. Washington Practice Notes
6. Sources and References

1. PRE-FILING CHECKLIST

Before submitting either complaint, gather:

☐ Full legal name, current Washington residence address, telephone, email;

☐ Business name(s) at issue, mailing address, telephone, website, and any account numbers;

☐ Copies of all written correspondence (collection letters, contracts, statements, screenshots);

☐ Dated log of telephone communications (date, time, caller ID, content summary);

☐ Copy of credit report excerpts showing disputed entries (if FCRA-related);

☐ Police report or FTC IdentityTheft.gov number (if identity-theft based);

☐ Any data-breach notice received under RCW § 19.255.010;

☐ Statutes you believe were violated (e.g., RCW § 19.16.250, 15 U.S.C. § 1692);

☐ The remedy you are requesting (refund amount, account closure, removal of credit reporting, cease and desist).

2. PART A — WASHINGTON ATTORNEY GENERAL COMPLAINT

A.1 Filing Channels

A.2 Cover Letter (for Mailed Complaints)

[CONSUMER FULL LEGAL NAME]

[STREET ADDRESS]

[CITY, WA ZIP]

Telephone: [NUMBER] | Email: [EMAIL]

Date: [__/__/____]

Office of the Attorney General

Consumer Protection Division

800 Fifth Avenue, Suite 2000

Seattle, WA 98104-3188

RE: Consumer Complaint Against [BUSINESS NAME] — Violation of Washington Consumer Protection Act, RCW § 19.86.020

Dear Consumer Protection Division:

I respectfully request that the Consumer Protection Division open a complaint file against the business identified below for violations of the Washington Consumer Protection Act (RCW Chapter 19.86) and [other applicable WA consumer statutes].

I understand that the Attorney General is prohibited from serving as my private attorney and that my complaint may be used to identify patterns of unlawful conduct, support investigations, or pursue enforcement action in the name of the State of Washington under RCW § 19.86.080. I have enclosed supporting documentation.

Sincerely,

[________________________________]

[CONSUMER FULL LEGAL NAME]

A.3 Complaint Narrative (Use as Online Form Body)

Industry / Practice Area: ☐ Debt collection ☐ Credit reporting ☐ Auto sales / lemon law ☐ Telemarketing / robocalls ☐ Home improvement / contractor ☐ Landlord-tenant ☐ Identity theft / data breach ☐ Online retail ☐ Subscription / "negative option" ☐ Health club / spa ☐ Other: [______]

Statement of Facts. On [__/__/____], [BUSINESS] [describe conduct in chronological order; identify each communication, what was said or written, and how it was unfair or deceptive].

Statutes Implicated. ☐ RCW § 19.86.020 (unfair or deceptive acts) ☐ RCW § 19.16.250 (debt-collection prohibited practices) ☐ RCW § 19.182 (WA FCRA) ☐ RCW § 19.255 (data-breach notice) ☐ RCW § 9.35.020 (identity theft) ☐ 15 U.S.C. § 1692 (FDCPA) ☐ 15 U.S.C. § 1681 (FCRA) ☐ Other: [______]

Resolution Requested. [describe — e.g., full refund of $___, written cease and desist, removal of disputed tradeline from credit report, closure of fraudulent account, written confirmation that collection has ceased, civil penalty referral].

Prior Resolution Attempts. ☐ Wrote to business on [__/__/____] ☐ Disputed via CRA on [__/__/____] ☐ Sent FDCPA validation letter on [__/__/____] ☐ Filed police report on [__/__/____] ☐ Filed CFPB complaint on [__/__/____] — Confirmation No. [__________].

Supporting Documents Enclosed. ☐ Collection letters ☐ Contract / order confirmation ☐ Email and text correspondence ☐ Credit report excerpt ☐ Police report ☐ Data breach notice ☐ Bank statements ☐ Other: [______]

Consent. I authorize the Attorney General's Office to forward this complaint to the named business and to any other agency having jurisdiction over the conduct described.

[________________________________]

[CONSUMER FULL LEGAL NAME] — Date: [__/__/____]

A.4 What to Expect After Filing

• The AG will assign a case number and forward the complaint to the business with a request for response.
• The AG cannot order a refund and cannot represent the consumer individually. RCW § 19.86.080.
• The AG may investigate, issue civil investigative demands (RCW § 19.86.110), or file an enforcement action seeking injunctive relief, restitution, civil penalties up to $7,500 per violation (RCW § 19.86.140), and costs and fees.
• Typical informal-mediation timeline: 30–90 days. Patterns of complaints often trigger formal investigations.
• The complaint and any business response are public records subject to disclosure under RCW Chapter 42.56, except as protected by RCW § 19.86.110(5).

3. PART B — CFPB COMPLAINT

B.1 Filing Channels

B.2 CFPB Product Categories (Select One)

☐ Debt collection ☐ Credit reporting / credit repair / other personal consumer reports ☐ Mortgage ☐ Credit card / prepaid card ☐ Checking / savings account ☐ Vehicle loan / lease ☐ Student loan ☐ Payday / title / personal loan ☐ Money transfer / virtual currency ☐ Other financial service.

B.3 Complaint Narrative

What happened? [Describe in chronological narrative — the CFPB form allows up to 4,000 characters. Identify (1) the product/service, (2) the conduct, (3) federal statutes or regulations violated (FDCPA, FCRA, ECOA, RESPA, TILA, EFTA, CFPA UDAAP), and (4) actual harm.]

What would you like to see happen? ☐ Money returned ☐ Account closed ☐ Credit reporting corrected ☐ Cease contact ☐ Documentation provided ☐ Explanation ☐ Other: [______]

Did the company respond? ☐ Yes ☐ No — [Explain]

Authorizations.

☐ I consent to the CFPB publishing my complaint narrative on its public Consumer Complaint Database (with personal information redacted).

☐ I certify that the information is true and accurate to the best of my knowledge.

B.4 What to Expect After CFPB Filing

• The CFPB forwards the complaint to the company within one business day.
• The company has 15 days to provide a response and up to 60 days to provide a final substantive response.
• The CFPB does not represent individual consumers, but it tracks complaints, publishes them on its Consumer Complaint Database, and uses patterns to support supervisory and enforcement action under 12 U.S.C. § 5511 et seq.
• Expect a response email with a CFPB confirmation number; save it.

4. PART C — PARALLEL FILINGS (OPTIONAL)

Depending on the conduct, also consider:

5. WASHINGTON PRACTICE NOTES

• No private representation by AG. RCW § 19.86.080 authorizes the AG to enforce the WCPA only "in the name of the state." The AG cannot pursue an individual recovery on the consumer's behalf. Consumers must retain private counsel for individual damages, treble damages, and attorney fees under RCW § 19.86.090.
• Preserve private claims. A regulatory complaint does NOT toll the statute of limitations. WCPA: 4 years (RCW § 19.86.120). FDCPA: 1 year (15 U.S.C. § 1692k(d)). FCRA: 2 years from discovery / 5 years from violation (15 U.S.C. § 1681p). File suit independently; do not wait for AG or CFPB.
• Public records. Complaints filed with the WA AG are generally subject to disclosure under the Public Records Act, RCW Chapter 42.56, with limited investigative-file exemptions under RCW § 19.86.110(5). Sensitive financial details should be redacted before submission where possible.
• CFPB database. Selecting "yes" to publication enables consumer-warning value but reveals narrative details. Sensitive identifiers (SSN, account numbers) should be omitted from the narrative; the database scrubs only obvious PII.
• Hangman Ridge five-element test. A private WCPA action requires (1) unfair or deceptive act, (2) trade or commerce, (3) public interest impact, (4) injury to business or property, and (5) causation. Hangman Ridge Training Stables, Inc. v. Safeco Title Ins. Co., 105 Wn.2d 778, 719 P.2d 531 (1986). Multiple AG complaints against the same business help document public-interest impact and pattern conduct.
• AG civil penalties. Up to $7,500 per violation under RCW § 19.86.140. The AG's enforcement actions can also seek restitution and disgorgement.
• Treble damages cap. RCW § 19.86.090 permits trebling of actual damages on a private claim, with the trebling enhancement capped at $25,000. Underlying actuals and attorney fees are uncapped.
• Mandatory licensee complaints. If the business is a licensed collection agency, file a parallel complaint with the WA Department of Licensing under RCW § 19.16.351 (license discipline).
• Servicemember and elder consumer. Note in the narrative if the consumer is a servicemember (CFPB Office of Servicemember Affairs prioritizes), age 60+, or otherwise vulnerable; WA AG may flag for elder-fraud unit.

6. SOURCES AND REFERENCES

• Washington Attorney General — File a Complaint — https://www.atg.wa.gov/file-complaint
• WA AG Consumer Resource Center — https://www.atg.wa.gov/contactus.aspx
• WA AG Consumer Protection Division — 800 Fifth Avenue, Suite 2000, Seattle, WA 98104-3188 — (800) 551-4636
• CFPB Submit a Complaint — https://www.consumerfinance.gov/complaint/
• CFPB Consumer Complaint Database — https://www.consumerfinance.gov/data-research/consumer-complaints/
• RCW Chapter 19.86 (WCPA) — https://app.leg.wa.gov/rcw/default.aspx?cite=19.86&full=true
• RCW § 19.86.080 (AG enforcement) — https://app.leg.wa.gov/rcw/default.aspx?cite=19.86.080
• RCW § 19.86.090 — https://app.leg.wa.gov/rcw/default.aspx?cite=19.86.090
• RCW § 19.86.140 (civil penalties) — https://app.leg.wa.gov/rcw/default.aspx?cite=19.86.140
• RCW Chapter 19.16 (Collection Agencies) — https://app.leg.wa.gov/rcw/default.aspx?cite=19.16&full=true
• RCW Chapter 19.182 (WA FCRA) — https://app.leg.wa.gov/rcw/default.aspx?cite=19.182&full=true
• RCW Chapter 19.255 (Data breach) — https://app.leg.wa.gov/rcw/default.aspx?cite=19.255&full=true
• Hangman Ridge Training Stables, Inc. v. Safeco Title Ins. Co., 105 Wn.2d 778, 719 P.2d 531 (1986)
• WA Department of Licensing — Collection Agencies — https://dol.wa.gov/business-and-professions/collection-agencies
• WA Department of Financial Institutions — https://dfi.wa.gov
• WA Office of the Insurance Commissioner — https://www.insurance.wa.gov

Disclaimer: This template is provided for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. Filing a regulatory complaint does not toll private statutes of limitations or substitute for filing a private civil action. Consult a Washington-licensed attorney before relying on this template.