Where should I report a coaching company, and what does each complaint do?
You can report to the FTC, your state attorney general, the CFPB if credit or collection is involved, the BBB, and your card issuer. Each does something different. The FTC uses reports to investigate but "can't resolve cases for individuals." None is a court, and a complaint does not replace a dispute letter or a lawyer. [S56]
General information, not legal advice. Laws and deadlines depend on where you signed, what you bought and how you paid. For your situation, talk to a lawyer or legal aid.
What does a complaint to the FTC do, and not do?
An FTC complaint feeds investigations. The complaint does not fix your case.
What it does. The FTC and other agencies use your report to investigate and bring cases [S56]. FTC consumer pages describe the warning signs of coaching schemes, including free seminars that lead into paid programs and pressure to decide fast [N7a, N7b].
What it does not do. The FTC "can't resolve cases for individuals" [S56]. It does not get your money back, cancel your contract or answer you with legal advice.
Clock. The sources used here give no filing deadline for an FTC report. Your other clocks keep running. Can I cancel a coaching contract I signed at a live event?
Where. The FTC's ReportFraud site. The FTC's page explaining how reports are used is cited in the sources below [S56].
What does a state attorney general do with a complaint?
California is the worked example. Other states differ, so check yours.
What it does. The California Attorney General takes a complaint through a form for businesses not overseen by another agency [S57]. For suspected fraud or crime, the page directs you to your local district attorney or city attorney [S57]. The page also points to the State Bar of California's lawyer referral service and to LawHelpCA [S30].
What it does not do. The California Attorney General does not give legal advice or represent individuals [S57].
Your state's attorney general. Search for "[your state] attorney general consumer complaint" and read the page for three things: whether it takes complaints about this kind of seller, whether it mediates or only collects reports, and whether it represents individuals. Find your attorney general [N22] or your state's consumer protection office [N23].
Clock. The sources used here give no filing deadline. Your other clocks keep running.
What does a complaint to the CFPB do?
The CFPB takes complaints about credit cards and debt collection, online or at (855) 411-CFPB (2372) [S39, S49]. It is the place for a collector's conduct or a credit-card billing problem. It is not a general channel for a coaching purchase with no credit or collection side.
After you file, the CFPB sends the complaint to the company, or to another agency if that agency is better placed to help. Companies generally respond within 15 days; in some cases a company gives a final response within 60 days. The CFPB publishes information about the complaint in its public database without information that directly identifies you, and you have 60 days to give feedback on the company's response [S64]. The page does not say the CFPB itself resolves the complaint.
What it does not do. It does not replace the written dispute notice to your card issuer or a collector, each of which has its own clock. What must a debt collector tell me, and how do I dispute the debt?
What does a complaint to the BBB do?
A BBB complaint asks the seller to respond. The BBB is a private nonprofit, not a court or a government enforcer [S29]. It forwards your complaint to the business and asks for a response, and a business that is not BBB-accredited takes part voluntarily [N24]. It also runs a Scam Tracker for reports [S29].
What it does not do. It cannot order a refund or compel the seller to do anything. It is not a substitute for a dispute letter, a regulator or a lawyer.
What does my card issuer do?
For billing errors, the issuer has set steps. You must send written notice within 60 days of the first statement showing the charge. The issuer must acknowledge in 30 days and resolve within two billing cycles [S38, S47].
What it does not do. It does not decide quality complaints, and "I changed my mind" is generally not a billing error [S38]. Full detail is on the chargebacks page. Can I dispute a coaching charge on my credit card, and will I win?
In what order should I file these?
File the ones with clocks first.
- Your card issuer, if you paid by credit card. The 60-day clock is the shortest.
- A debt collector, if one has contacted you. The dispute period is 30 days from receipt.
- Your own written request to the seller. How do I write a cancellation letter without admitting anything?
- Then the agencies: your state attorney general, the FTC, the CFPB if credit or collection is involved, and the BBB.
Keep a copy of everything you send. Keep the confirmation of every report.
Frequently asked questions about complaints
These answers cover the quick questions about reports.
Will a complaint get my money back?
Not by itself. The FTC cannot resolve cases for individuals [S56]. The California Attorney General does not represent individuals [S57]. The BBB can request a response but is not an enforcer [S29]. A refund comes from the seller, your card issuer or a court.
Does this site take complaints?
No. This site is not a regulator and cannot resolve your case. What happens when you tell us about the room is on its own page. What happens when you tell us what happened in the room?
Who can give me legal advice?
A lawyer, a legal aid organization or your state bar's lawyer referral service [S30]. No agency on this page gives you legal advice.
What to do next
Check your clocks, then report. Keep copies.
Who writes this site
Coached Into Debt is written by the organization, with no personal byline. More on who runs it. Who runs Coached Into Debt, and why?
Sources
- N22 Find my AG · National Association of Attorneys General · naag.org · accessed 2026-11-01
- N23 State consumer protection offices · USA.gov · usa.gov · accessed 2026-11-01
- N24 BBB complaint process · Better Business Bureau · bbb.org · accessed 2026-11-01
- S56 Reporting Fraud 101: Protect your community by reporting scams · FTC Consumer Alerts · consumer.ftc.gov · accessed 2026-10-27
- N7a When a Business Offer or Coaching Program Is a Scam · FTC Consumer Advice · consumer.ftc.gov · accessed 2026-10-27
- N7b How to spot and avoid business coaching scams (page dated 18 May 2026) · FTC Consumer Alerts · consumer.ftc.gov · accessed 2026-10-27
- S57 Consumer complaints · California Attorney General · oag.ca.gov · accessed 2026-10-27
- S30 State Bar of California lawyer referral and LawHelpCA, via the California Attorney General consumer page · California Attorney General · oag.ca.gov · accessed 2026-10-27
- S39 How can I get a refund on a product or service I purchased with my credit card? · CFPB · consumerfinance.gov · accessed 2026-10-27
- S49 How do I dispute a debt with a debt collector? · CFPB · consumerfinance.gov · accessed 2026-10-27
- S29 File a complaint · Better Business Bureau · bbb.org · accessed 2026-10-27
- S38 Using Credit Cards and Disputing Charges · FTC Consumer Advice · consumer.ftc.gov · accessed 2026-10-27
- S47 How to fix mistakes in your credit card bill · CFPB · consumerfinance.gov · accessed 2026-10-27
- S64 The complaint process · Consumer Financial Protection Bureau · consumerfinance.gov · accessed 2026-10-27