How to File a Complaint Against Square

What is it? The fine print of your user agreement says that you can’t sue them using traditional lawsuits. However, one of the exceptions is small claims court. This gives you a chance to bring your claim before a local judge with certain monetary limits. Small claims court can only provide you with monetary compensation so if you are looking for some type of compensation regarding a physical product or service, this won’t work but if you can convert your compensation to a dollar figure, it will. Most small claims court limits range from $2,500 to $10,000. You will also have to pay fees and make sure that you fill out the paperwork and get to and from your local courthouse regularly.

When to try it:  It takes time, effort, and money but if you have all those, this gives you a chance to make your complaint against Square public.

What you need to do: Locate your local small claims court and follow the steps laid out by the small claims court online. This will tell you how to file a small claims court suit where you live. Every court has different rules and procedures so you have to make sure you follow them diligently otherwise they will throw out your case.

What to expect: If you follow all the steps precisely and have a strong claim against Square, with sufficient evidence, there’s a good chance you’ll get compensation. Additionally, Square may even offer you a settlement in exchange for dropping the suit.

What is it? The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (“CFPB”) is a federal government agency that regulates much of Square’s business. The CFPB provides an informal channel for consumers to submit claims and complaints against Square.  What happens when you file a complaint through this method is based on the internal procedures and you can read about these procedures here.

When to try it: This isn’t a way to pursue compensation but it’s a great way for you to make your complaint available to the government and to the public especially if you are supremely frustrated with square.

What you need to do: File an informal complaint on the CFPB’s public website by following the instructions here.

What to expect: Your complaint will be posted online in a public database. The CFPB might use it to create regulations for Square, or they might require Square to respond to the CFPB regarding the issue you raised. It’s unlikely that you will get an individual response however.

What is it? The Better Business Bureau (“BBB”) and its local chapters are private organizations that collect and publish complaints against a wide range of companies, including Square. They also gave companies a chance to respond to customer complaints in a public forum. However, companies are not required to do so so this can be a hit-or-miss.

When to try it: When their BBB page shows that Square is actively involved in responding to complaints, you have the highest chance of getting a response yourself. Alternatively, if you just want to publish your dissatisfaction for other people to read about, you can do it at any time.

What you need to do: Go to Square’s BBB profile and follow the instructions for submitting a complaint.

What to expect: This depends on whether Square decides to actively respond to their BBB complaints. If they do they might follow up with you individually.

What is it? Remember how you can’t join big Square lawsuits? Well, you can use independent arbitration and go before an arbitrator instead of a judge. This is a costly process so if you notify Square that you have initiated independent arbitration it’s very likely that they will take your complaint seriously and try to settle sooner rather than later.

When to try it: Any situation in which you believe Square has violated the law, your contact, or mislead you can be pursued with arbitration. You can get financial compensation, with limits. What you need to do: Fill out our form below or start your claim against Square.

What to expect: For more details about arbitration against Square, click here. (For a list of companies we process complaints against, start here.) Share your complaint with Square FairShake today!