In your dealings with a business, you may believe that you have been a victim of a deceptive or unfair business practice, but not all deceptive practices are criminal offenses (see Criminal Complaints). If the deceptive practice is not a criminal offense, you may file a complaint with an appropriate state agency.

Most complaints against a business should be filed with the Florida Department of Agriculture, Division of Consumer Services. They are the State’s clearinghouse for consumer complaints and a vast resource of consumer information. They are located in the Mayo Building, Tallahassee, Florida 32399-0800, and can be reached toll free at 1-800-435-7352. If that number is busy, you may want to consider using their regular long distance number (850) 488-2221 within Florida or 1-800-352-9832 outside Florida

Consumer complaint forms are available from the Division of Consumer Services (DOACS). If the complaint falls within another State agency’s jurisdiction, the DOACS will refer it to that agency.  If the complaint falls within DOACS jurisdiction or if the dispute is filed against a business not regulated by federal, state or local government, the DOACS attempts  informal mediation to resolve the complaint and evaluate the business for compliance with applicable statutes. If DOACS does not resolve the complaint, you may wish to contact a private attorney to determine if any civil remedies are available to you. (See Civil complaints for more information).

There are also several state agencies that handle complaints against businesses, or certain business activities, that you may wish to contact.

If your complaint falls under a category that is not listed, your complaint should be filed with the Division of Consumer Services.