Filing a Consumer Complaint in Wisconsin
How to report a business to the Wisconsin Attorney General or consumer agency, and your rights under the state's consumer protection law.
Short answer: The Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection (DATCP) is Wisconsin's primary consumer protection agency. Wisconsin DATCP, File a Consumer Complaint
| Filing a complaint | The Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection (DATCP) is Wisconsin's primary consumer protection agency. Consumers should first try to resolve the problem with the business, then file a complaint online or by mail using the form for the right category (for example, home improvement, motor vehicle repairs, door-to-door sales, landlord-tenant, telemarketing, or a general complaint). Staff typically review a complaint within about a week and then contact the business; DATCP cannot force a business to resolve a complaint, but this contact often leads to a solution. |
|---|---|
| Unfair and deceptive practices law | Wisconsin's deceptive advertising law prohibits untrue, deceptive or misleading representations made to the public to sell goods, services, real estate or other things. A person who suffers a pecuniary loss because of a violation may sue and recover that loss plus costs, including reasonable attorney fees. Separately, a person who suffers a pecuniary loss because of a violation of a DATCP trade-practice order or rule (such as the auto repair and home improvement rules) may recover twice the loss, plus costs and reasonable attorney fees. Double damages for violations of DATCP orders and rules: https://docs.legis.wisconsin.gov/document/statutes/100.20 |
Where to get help in Wisconsin
- Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection (DATCP), Bureau of Consumer Protection
- File a complaint or claim
More Wisconsin consumer protection
- The Lemon Law in Wisconsin
- Your Right to Cancel a Purchase in Wisconsin
- Contractors and Repair Shops in Wisconsin
- All Wisconsin consumer protection rules
FAQ
How do you file a consumer complaint in Wisconsin?
The Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection (DATCP) is Wisconsin's primary consumer protection agency. Consumers should first try to resolve the problem with the business, then file a complaint online or by mail using the form for the right category (for example, home improvement, motor vehicle repairs, door-to-door sales, landlord-tenant, telemarketing, or a general complaint). Staff typically review a complaint within about a week and then contact the business; DATCP cannot force a business to resolve a complaint, but this contact often leads to a solution.
What is the consumer protection law in Wisconsin?
Wisconsin's deceptive advertising law prohibits untrue, deceptive or misleading representations made to the public to sell goods, services, real estate or other things. A person who suffers a pecuniary loss because of a violation may sue and recover that loss plus costs, including reasonable attorney fees. Separately, a person who suffers a pecuniary loss because of a violation of a DATCP trade-practice order or rule (such as the auto repair and home improvement rules) may recover twice the loss, plus costs and reasonable attorney fees.
General legal information, not legal advice. Laws change and local rules can differ; check the linked official source or talk to a lawyer about your situation.