Decide Your Money
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Free Letter Template: Compensation When a Service Failed

Copy, paste, send. Service outage, missed delivery, or bad experience? Ask for credit, refund, or extra service — companies usually offer something.

“After 25 years inside the companies designing the systems that make cancelling impossible, I wrote these letters so you do not have to fight for your money back.”

— Enri Scha, Founder of Decide Your Money

When to use it

Use this template when:

  • a service was unavailable for several hours or days
  • a platform outage prevented you from using the service
  • an internet service stopped working
  • a paid feature did not function properly

How to use it

  1. 1Replace the bracketed text with your information.
  2. 2Briefly describe the issue and when it happened.
  3. 3Mention that you value the service.
  4. 4Explain that the interruption affected your ability to use what you paid for.

The template (copy and paste)

Subject: Question regarding recent service interruption

Hello,

I hope you’re doing well.

I’m reaching out because I experienced an issue with [service name] on [date or time period], during which the service was unavailable or not functioning correctly.

During that period, I was unable to fully use the service even though my subscription remained active.

I want to say that overall my experience with [service name] has been very positive, and I appreciate the effort your team puts into maintaining the platform.

However, since the service interruption prevented normal use during that time, I wanted to ask if it might be possible to review the situation and see whether any compensation or account adjustment could be applied.

I completely understand that technical issues can occasionally happen. I simply wanted to reach out and check if there might be any way to account for the time during which the service was unavailable.

Thank you very much for your time and for looking into this.

Kind regards,

[Your name]

Follow-up if they do not offer an alternative

Hello,

Thank you very much for your response and for taking the time to review the situation.

I completely understand that occasional service interruptions can happen. At the same time, since the issue prevented normal use of the service during that period, I wanted to kindly ask whether there might be any possibility of reviewing the account for a credit or adjustment.

I’ve genuinely enjoyed using [service name], and I appreciate your help looking into this.

Thank you again for your time.

Kind regards,

[Your name]

Why this letter works

This template helps request compensation when a service you paid for did not work properly.

This message focuses on explaining the situation while showing appreciation for the service.

Companies aim to maintain customer satisfaction and protect their reputation. When a service interruption affects paying customers, support teams often have internal policies allowing them to offer compensation.

support agents often review the account and apply goodwill compensation.

The key is to remain calm and factual rather than accusatory.

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What you will receive (15 more templates):

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  • Considering Switching to a Competitor
  • I Already Tried to Cancel — Escalation Email
  • I'm Considering Cancelling — Email That Unlocks Retention Offers
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  • Refund Request Template for Streaming Services
  • Refund Request When a Free Trial Converted to a Paid Subscription
  • Request to Pause a Subscription Instead of Cancelling
  • Request to Remove Late Fees or Penalties
  • Script to Negotiate Your Mobile or Internet Bill
  • Template to Dispute Small Unauthorized Charges
  • Template to Request a Downgrade Without Penalties
  • Template to Request Price Matching After a Price Increase
  • Universal Negotiation Tactics You Can Add to Any RequestBonus

Disclaimer

This template is general guidance, not legal or financial advice. Consumer rights, contract terms, and cancellation policies vary by country, region, and provider. Read your specific contract carefully before sending any letter or making any request. Your results will depend on your individual circumstances, the company's policies, and local laws. If you need legal certainty, consult a qualified professional in your jurisdiction.

These templates work in many cases but they cannot guarantee outcomes. By using them you accept that you are responsible for verifying the information applies to your situation.