Most issues get resolved in help@ladle.chat within one business day. This page is for the situations where that isn't enough — a compliance concern, a formal grievance, or something a regulator needs to know about.
Before filing a formal complaint
Try support first. Email hello@ladle.chat with a clear description of the issue. Response SLA is one business day. If the answer isn’t satisfactory, this page is next.
How to file
- Email legal@ladle.chat with subject “Formal Complaint.”
- Include: (a) your account email, (b) description of the issue, (c) what resolution you're seeking, (d) any relevant dates + prior support ticket references, (e) any relevant screenshots or documents.
- You'll receive an acknowledgment within 2 business days confirming receipt + assigning a complaint reference number.
- Substantive response within 15 business days. If the investigation requires longer, we'll email an interim status and a projected resolution date.
Response SLA
Escalation paths
If our response doesn't resolve your concern, you have external options depending on the topic:
- Data privacy (EU/UK): file with your national data protection authority. For California: California Privacy Protection Agency (cppa.ca.gov). See /legal/dpa.
- Consumer product issues (US): Better Business Bureau, or your state attorney general's consumer protection office.
- Payments / billing disputes: your card issuer's dispute process (chargeback) is an option; we prefer you contact us first because we resolve refunds directly.
- Accessibility (US): US DOJ complaints under ADA Title III at ada.gov.
- Trust & safety / child safety: NCMEC CyberTipline at cybertipline.org.
What we log
Every formal complaint is logged: date received, complaint reference, category, resolution, and time to resolve. Aggregate counts are published in the annual transparency report at /trust/transparency-report. Individual complaint contents are never published.
Retaliation
Filing a complaint has no effect on your account. We do not close, suspend, or degrade accounts of complainants. If you feel a complaint led to account action, escalate directly to founder@ladle.chat.