Welcome to Fort Campbell's
Army Community Service Consumer Affairs Complaints
Complaint
Process | Deployed Soldiers | File a Complaint
Hitting Close to Home | FAQ
Complaint Process
If you feel your consumer rights have been violated, you
can file a DA
Form 5184-R, Consumer Complaint and submit it to Consumer Affairs. When
filing a complaint, please attach copies of all relevant documents (e.g. warranties,
bills of sale, correspondence with businesses, etc.). When you file a complaint,
you will be working directly with one of the Consumer Affairs’ counselors.
Your counselor will take your information, contact the business’s manager
or owner, and work as a mediator to try and resolve the issue. Consumer Affairs
provides consumers with referrals to appropriate agencies for assistance if
Consumer Affairs is unable to resolve the complaint. Often a state or federal
agency will have more authority or expertise to handle a particular consumer
problem.
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Deployed Soldiers
The CAO now accepts complaints via this website from Soldiers serving
overseas. Due to the Privacy Act of 1974, the CAO may not be able
to speak with certain businesses until the Soldier gives their approval. The
CAO understands this obstacle and will work with you and the business to find
an appropriate solution.
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File a Complaint
If you have a consumer complaint:
Few things are more frustrating than paying hard-earned money for a product
or service only to discover it doesn't measure up to the promises or expectations
or that it is just a plain rip-off. When that happens, consumers rightfully
expect to have the problem resolved or their money returned. Even careful
buyers get stuck now and then. If it happens to you, you will want to know
how to proceed to get the best results...
First Contact the Business
Take your problem to the salesperson, manager or the company's customer
service representative. Most problems are resolved at this level. If you are
still not satisfied, contact the owner or the company's headquarters.
If the business will not resolve a problem directly, consumers can
file a complaint with the Consumer Affairs Office. The complaint
should explain in detail, with documentation, what the problem is, who it
is with, what you have done and what you want. In particular it should:
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Be as thorough as possible. The more information you give the CAO, the
better we can understand your problem and work to assist you
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In addition to your complaint, try to give us any supporting documents
(Fax: (270)798-4545)
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Please include all phone numbers and email addresses so that a CAO counselor
can reach you
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Please fill out only sections 1-16d. Ensure that you describe exactly
how you feel the problem should be resolved (16d).
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In order to file a complaint, please click the link below to fill out
DA Form 5184.
DA
Form 5184 (PDF) Download
Fax us the completed form to 270.798.4545
OR
mail it to Consumer Affairs Office, 5661 Screaming Eagle Blvd., Fort Campbell,
KY, 42223
Online Form Coming
Soon
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Hitting Close to Home
Within the past year, the CAO has helped Soldier, from Fort
Campbell, with the following cases:
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A Soldier paid a business $21,000 as a down payment for an addition
on his/her home. Ten months later, no construction had been started, and
none of the money had been returned. With CAO mediation, the business
offered to give the Soldier all of their money back.
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A Soldier purchased a car warranty online, and he attempted to cancel
the policy two months later. He was told that he could not cancel the
policy. With CAO mediation, the business gave him a full refund.
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Local repair shop had seven complaints against them for unauthorized
repairs, vehicle damage, and poor business practices. Consumer Affairs
brought the business before the Armed Forces Disciplinary Control Board,
which sent the business a letter putting them on notice. If the business
does not comply they may be placed off-limits.
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Many Soldiers purchased computers in the mall. The laptops sold for
almost three times their value, at a 19.2% APR. With the CAO’s assistance,
the Tennessee Attorney General’s Office filed a lawsuit against
this company. The trial is ongoing.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Q. What happens when I submit a complaint on this website?
A CAO counselor will read your complaint and contact you by phone or email.
After establishing contact, the counselor will work as a mediator between
you and the business to resolve your complaint.
Q. How long does it take to resolve a complaint?
A. Depending on the nature of your complaint, time to resolve the issue may
differ. The CAO counselor will contact the business directly as soon as he/she
has your information and has established contact with you. For those coming
into the CAO personally, the counselor will generally make the first call
to the business while you are present. Some complaints are resolved quickly
while others may continue in the mediation stage for several months. The CAO
counselor will usually refer you to an outside agency if the mediation does
not seem to be working towards resolution of the complaint.
Q. Why is it important to file a complaint?
There are three reasons to file a complaint:
Some businesses respond better to a mediator in working towards complaint
resolution. Your complaint and its final status will be logged into the CAO
database. When other soldiers call to research a business, they will have
a clearer view of the business’s history.
If the CAO can show a pattern of unfair business practices, the business can
be taken to the Armed Forces Disciplinary Control Board (AFDCB) with a possible
outcome of being placed off-limits.
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