Sample complaint letters and how to fill them correctly

A blank page is the hardest part of complaining. This guide gives you ready-to-use, fill-in-the-blank complaint letters — one for the lender's grievance officer and one for the RBI Ombudsman — with plain explanations of every blank, so you can adapt them to your own situation and send something strong on the first try.

The hardest part of complaining is often the blank page. You know what happened to you, you know it was wrong, but turning that into a letter that sounds firm and credible feels impossible — especially when you are exhausted and frightened. This guide removes that barrier. Below are two ready-to-use complaint templates: one for the lender's grievance officer (your first step) and one for the RBI Ombudsman (your escalation). Each blank is explained in plain language, so you can fill it in with your own facts and send something strong on the very first attempt.

A word before you start: these are templates to adapt, never to copy blindly. A complaint gets its power from being specific and true. The brackets are where your real facts go — your names, your dates, your numbers, your account ID. Fill them honestly, keep the calm and factual tone, delete anything that does not apply to you, and you will have a letter that does its job.

Before you fill anything in — gather your facts

Open a notes file or use loantrap.org's free locker and write down, in one place: your full name and registered mobile number; the lender's name and your loan account or application ID; the amount you borrowed and what you have repaid; and a dated list of every harassing incident — the date, the time, the number used, and what was said or done — each tied to a screenshot, call log, or recording. Once you have this, filling the templates is just slotting your facts into the blanks. Our guide on documenting harassment so it stands up legally explains how to build this record cleanly.

It also helps to run a quick check first to confirm the lender's RBI-regulated status and its registered details, because that tells you whether the RBI grievance-and-Ombudsman route applies and gives you the correct name to address.

How the blanks work

Throughout both templates, anything in [square brackets] is a blank for you to replace. Some blanks are obvious (your name). Others need a short explanation, which you will find right after each template. The instruction notes in (italics within brackets) are guidance — delete them from your final letter; they are not meant to be sent.

Template 1 — Complaint to the lender's grievance officer

To: The Grievance Redressal Officer, [Lender's full registered name] Email: [grievance officer's published email] (use the address from the lender's website / loan agreement / app) Date: [today's date]

Subject: Complaint regarding harassment and unfair recovery practices — Loan Account / Application No. [your loan account or application ID]

Dear Sir/Madam,

My details. My name is [your full name]. My registered mobile number is [your mobile number] and my loan account / application ID with [Lender's name] is [account/application ID]. I borrowed [Rs amount] on or around [disbursal date] and have repaid [Rs amount repaid] to date.

Nature of complaint. This is a formal complaint regarding harassment and unfair recovery practices by your recovery agents, which I believe breach the RBI Fair Practices Code and the RBI's Digital Lending norms, for which [Lender's name], as the Regulated Entity, is responsible.

What happened (with dates). a. On [date] at approximately [time], a person calling from [phone number] [describe exactly what was said or done — e.g. "threatened to inform my employer and contacts unless I paid immediately"]. (See Annexure [1].) b. On [date] at approximately [time], I received [describe the message / call — e.g. "abusive WhatsApp messages calling me a 'fraud' and threatening to circulate my photo"] from [number]. (See Annexure [2].) c. [Add further dated incidents as needed, each pointing to an annexure.]

Why this is improper. I respectfully submit that calls at odd hours, threats, abusive language, public shaming, and contacting persons in my phone's contacts are contrary to the RBI Fair Practices Code and Digital Lending norms, and that the Regulated Entity remains responsible for the conduct of its recovery agents.

What I am asking for. I request that you: (i) immediately stop all harassment and instruct your agents accordingly; (ii) correct any wrongful charges on my account; (iii) communicate with me only through lawful, civil means; and (iv) send me a written response to this complaint. (I wish to clarify that I am willing to repay my legitimate dues through a lawful and reasonable arrangement; my complaint is about the harassment, not about avoiding repayment.)

Escalation. If I do not receive a satisfactory response within 30 days, I will escalate this matter to the RBI Ombudsman under the Integrated Ombudsman Scheme (RB-IOS) at cms.rbi.org.in. Any threats or extortion will be reported to the cybercrime helpline (1930) and cybercrime.gov.in.

Yours faithfully, [your full name] [your mobile number] / [your email] Enclosures: Annexures [1] to [N] (screenshots, call logs, recordings, loan documents)

How to fill Template 1

Lender's full registered name and grievance email — Use the registered name and the published grievance officer's email, found on the lender's website under "Grievance Redressal", in your loan agreement or Key Fact Statement, or inside the app. If you genuinely cannot find them, use the main customer-care email and add a line: "I was unable to locate the published grievance officer details."
Loan account / application ID — Copy it exactly from your agreement or the app.
Amounts and dates — Be accurate, not approximate where you can avoid it. If unsure of an exact figure, say "approximately".
Paragraph 3 incidents — This is the heart of the letter. One incident per line, each with a date, a time, a number, what happened, and an annexure reference. Specific beats general: "they harassed me" is weak; a dated, sourced incident is strong.
Paragraph 5 willingness-to-repay line — Keep it if a genuine debt exists; it keeps the focus on the harassment and makes you look reasonable. Delete it if there is no legitimate debt (for example, a purely fraudulent app).
Annexures — Number your attachments and make sure every "(See Annexure X)" matches a real file.

Our full walkthrough of this first step is in our guide on complaining to the lender's grievance officer.

Template 2 — Complaint to the RBI Ombudsman (RB-IOS)

(Use this only after you have complained to the lender and either 30 days have passed with no reply, or you received a reply that did not resolve the matter. File it online at cms.rbi.org.in — this template is the substance you will enter or attach.)

To: The Reserve Bank — Integrated Ombudsman (RB-IOS), via cms.rbi.org.in Date: [today's date]

Subject: Complaint against [Lender's full registered name] — unresolved harassment and unfair recovery practices — Loan Account / Application No. [your loan account or application ID]

Complainant details. Name: [your full name]. Mobile: [your mobile number]. Email: [your email]. Address: [your address].

Regulated Entity complained against. [Lender's full registered name], an RBI-regulated [bank / NBFC]. (Mention its registration if you have confirmed it via /check.)

Complaint made to the Regulated Entity first. I lodged a written complaint with the Regulated Entity's grievance officer on [date of your Template 1 complaint] (copy enclosed as Annexure [A]). (Choose one:) I received no reply within 30 days. / I received a reply dated [date] which did not resolve my grievance (enclosed as Annexure [B]).

Summary of grievance. Despite my complaint, [Lender's name] and its recovery agents [continued / failed to stop] harassment and unfair recovery practices, in breach of the RBI Fair Practices Code and Digital Lending norms. Specific instances, with dates, are set out in my enclosed complaint and supporting annexures (Annexures [1]–[N]).

Relief sought. I request the Ombudsman to direct the Regulated Entity to: (i) cease all harassment immediately; (ii) ensure its agents comply with the Fair Practices Code; (iii) correct any wrongful charges or records; and (iv) provide appropriate redress. (I remain willing to repay my legitimate dues through a lawful, reasonable arrangement.)

Declaration. The information given is true to the best of my knowledge. The same matter is not pending before, and has not been settled by, any other forum. (Confirm this is accurate before signing.)

[your full name] Enclosures: Annexure [A] (complaint to lender), Annexure [B] (lender's reply, if any), Annexures [1]–[N] (evidence)

How to fill Template 2

Timing first. Only file this once the 30-day window has passed without a satisfactory reply, and within the scheme's outer time limit. Our guide on the 30-day rule and escalation timelines explains exactly when this door opens and when it may close.
Paragraph 3 is essential. The Ombudsman normally needs to see that you complained to the lender first and either waited 30 days or got an inadequate reply. Attach your Template 1 complaint and the lender's reply (if any) — this is what makes you eligible.
Declaration in paragraph 6. Be truthful that the same grievance is not pending in another forum (for instance, you should not run the identical complaint in the consumer forum and before the Ombudsman at once). Confirm this before you sign.
Filing mechanics. The Ombudsman complaint is filed online at cms.rbi.org.in. The portal will ask for these same details and let you upload your annexures; you can paste the substance of this template into the description fields.

A note on criminal matters — these letters are not for threats

These two templates are for service-and-conduct complaints against a Regulated Entity. They are not the right tool for threats, extortion, blackmail, or morphed images. Those are crimes, and you report them immediately — with no 30-day wait — to the cybercrime helpline 1930 and cybercrime.gov.in, and to the police. For gendered extortion against a woman, the National Commission for Women is an additional channel. Our help page sets out which route to use for which kind of problem, so the right complaint goes to the right place.

Keep copies of everything you send

Whatever you send, keep a dated copy and proof of sending — the sent email, the screenshot of the online submission with its reference number, or the registered-post receipt. That record is what lets you prove you complained and waited, which is the foundation of every later step. Store it all in one place; loantrap.org's locker is built for exactly this.

If you cannot afford a lawyer

You can fill in and send both of these complaints yourself, for free, and most people can. But if a connected matter turns serious — a court notice, a cheque-bounce complaint, or sustained criminal threats — and the cost of a lawyer feels out of reach, free government legal aid through NALSA, your State Legal Services Authority (SLSA) and District Legal Services Authority (DLSA) is your right. Our legal aid page explains how to reach them.

Filling in a complaint letter can feel like a small act against a wall of calls. It is not small at all. The moment you send a dated, specific, well-evidenced complaint, you stop being only a target and become a complainant with a record — and that is the shift where things begin to turn.

This is general information, not legal advice. These templates are starting points to adapt to your own true facts. For a court notice or sustained threats, consider free legal aid (NALSA/SLSA/DLSA) or a qualified advocate, and use the cybercrime helpline (1930 / cybercrime.gov.in) for any threats or extortion.