Frequently Asked Questions

PlainComplaint uses data from the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) Consumer Complaint Database. This is the official federal database of consumer complaints about financial products and services, covering complaints filed since 2011 across all 50 states and territories.

The CFPB publishes complaints daily after the company responds or after 15 calendar days. PlainComplaint refreshes its database quarterly to reflect the latest complaint data. Check the methodology page for the most recent update date.

Yes, PlainComplaint is completely free. All our data comes from the publicly available CFPB database. We don't require registration, subscriptions, or payment.

Our data comes directly from the CFPB with no modifications to complaint records. However, CFPB data reflects only complaints that consumers chose to file and does not represent all customer experiences. For the most current complaint data, check the CFPB directly at consumerfinance.gov.

Not necessarily. Complaint volume is heavily influenced by company size and customer base. A bank serving 50 million customers will naturally receive more complaints than one serving 50,000. PlainComplaint shows response rates and relief percentages alongside complaint counts to give a more complete picture.

The CFPB tracks whether companies respond to complaints within 15 calendar days. The 'timely response' percentage on each company profile shows how often the company met this deadline. Most major financial institutions respond on time to over 95% of complaints.

No, PlainComplaint is a data exploration tool only. To file a complaint, visit the CFPB directly at consumerfinance.gov/complaint. PlainComplaint helps you research complaint patterns but is not affiliated with the CFPB.