Academic Writing 102

CLAIM LETTER Overview This assignment calls for you to write a claim letter. An arguable claim letter is basically a letter of complaint. Arguable claim letters should be persuasive because you, as the writer, must realize that the recipient will probably have a view of the matter that is likely to conflict with yours; thus, you need to convince the recipient that you have been justifiably wronged and your claim is valid. Remember, claim letters should not be your first course of action (for example, if McDonald's forgot your fries, you would not write a claim letter); rather, claims are written when all other recourses have been exhausted. Scenario As the head of research for a biological research organization, you recently purchased a $2,000 commercial refrigerator for storing research samples. Recently, you suffered a loss of more than $600 in samples when the thermostat failed and the temperature in the refrigerator rose to more than 48 degrees over the weekend. Task Write a one-page claim letter to the manufacturer of the container (refrigerator). Invent any details you feel necessary to support your claim. Review the elements of a letter as well as the checklist for claim letters provided in Chapter 14. In addition, review the materials provided in the Course Materials folder for this Unit. Assignment Details Your claim letter should contain: four body paragraphs that conform to the conventions outlined in the textbook. a real address of the company or institution responsible for your product (you may choose any company of your choice; use the Internet to help you find company's information). the name of the real person who would receive your letter (you may even call the company to find out who is the person responsible for complaint letters)—this is your primary audience.