'Complaint' or 'Claim'

<b> Forum for those teaching business English </b>

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Itasan
Posts: 557
Joined: Wed Nov 05, 2003 8:22 am
Location: Yokohama, Japan

'Complaint' or 'Claim'

Post by Itasan » Wed Feb 11, 2004 7:06 am

Which do you prefer, 'complaint' or 'claim'
in the following situation?
"If you purchase a defective product, you
must write a complaint / claim letter to the compnay."
Thank you.

sita
Posts: 261
Joined: Tue Jan 21, 2003 11:59 am
Location: Germany
Contact:

Post by sita » Thu Feb 12, 2004 1:29 pm

Hiya!

I would say a complaint.

CU
Siân

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Lorikeet
Posts: 1374
Joined: Sun May 18, 2003 4:14 am
Location: San Francisco, California
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Post by Lorikeet » Thu Feb 12, 2004 4:08 pm

To me, if you write a complaint, you complain about the product. You may or may not get a response. If you make a claim, you expect them to send you a replacement item or give you money back. I don't think you can make a claim unless they specifically tell you they are accepting claims.

RomanGirl
Posts: 4
Joined: Mon Feb 16, 2004 3:16 pm
Location: Rome, Italy

pro-active vs. negative

Post by RomanGirl » Mon Feb 16, 2004 3:44 pm

I think a claim letter is a better, more professional fit. This corresponds to the widely-held belief that there is no place for negative terms in business. Much like how "problems" are restated as "challenges", so too, a complaint is better put forth as a claim, which sounds pro-active as opposed to negative.

sita
Posts: 261
Joined: Tue Jan 21, 2003 11:59 am
Location: Germany
Contact:

BE vs. AE

Post by sita » Mon Feb 16, 2004 6:53 pm

Hiya

In Germany BE is predominant.

Here claim would merely be associated with gold....


Best wishes

Siân

RolandTrego
Posts: 18
Joined: Wed Mar 23, 2005 8:23 pm

Complaint vs. Claim

Post by RolandTrego » Thu Mar 24, 2005 8:59 pm

I would say 'complaint'. I think of a claim more in terms of insurance or the law, e.g., "In his claim, he is asking that we reimburse him for his expenses to have his car fixed." A complaint simply lets someone know that you are unhappy with something. A claim is a formal request for money or other restitution which you feel another party owes you.

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