Complaint About a Refurbished Laptop
You are a HAVO 5 student. On 3 March you ordered a refurbished laptop (order number 48291) from the online shop TechReturn for €389. It arrived on 7 March. The charger in the box does not fit your model, and the battery lasts only about 90 minutes, although the product page promised 'up to 5 hours'. You want a replacement charger and a new battery, or a full refund. The webshop's return label expired on 10 March; today is 14 March. The customer service address is [email protected]. Your teacher requires a formal email of 120-150 words with a clear subject line, the order number, both problems, and a specific request. You must not use contractions or slang. You also need to explain why you are contacting the shop now rather than using the expired label.
1. Write the subject line and opening sentence of the email. Explain why they are suitable for this formal complaint.
Read the worked answer
Subject: Complaint and refund request – order 48291. Opening: 'Dear Customer Service, I am writing to report two problems with order 48291, which I received on 7 March.' The subject is specific, includes the order number and signals the purpose immediately. The salutation is formal because the writer does not know the reader. 'I am writing to report' is a standard formal opening and avoids slang or contractions. Putting the order number in both subject and first sentence helps the company identify the case quickly.
2. Draft the full email (120-150 words). Make sure the tone is firm but polite.
Read the worked answer
Subject: Complaint and refund request – order 48291
Dear Customer Service,
I am writing to report two problems with order 48291, which I received on 7 March. First, the charger supplied does not fit my laptop model. Second, the battery lasts only about 90 minutes, although the product page promised up to five hours.
I wanted to return the laptop using your label, but it expired on 10 March. I am therefore contacting you directly. I would like either a replacement charger and a new battery, or a full refund of €389. Please let me know by 21 March how you will resolve this.
I look forward to your reply.
Yours faithfully, [Name]
Reasoning: the email states the order, both problems, the expired label and a specific request, while keeping a polite formal tone.
3. A classmate writes: 'Hey, your charger is useless and I want my money back now.' Rewrite this sentence for the formal email and explain two changes.
Read the worked answer
Rewrite: 'The charger supplied does not fit my laptop, and I would therefore like to request a full refund.' Changes: (1) 'Hey' is removed and the sentence becomes direct but polite; it no longer sounds like a chat message. (2) 'Useless' is replaced by a factual description ('does not fit'), which is more convincing and less aggressive. The demand 'now' is turned into a request with 'I would like', and 'therefore' makes the link between the problem and the refund logical. The rewrite keeps the complaint firm without slang or rudeness.