Goal
Submit a complete response to a complaint filed against you, including your written explanation and any supporting files, before the response deadline expires.
Steps
1. Open the Complaints page
From the partner portal, navigate to the Complaints page under the “Permance” menu item.
At the top you will see four metric cards summarising your current complaint status: your Compliance Score, the number of complaints with scoring impact, your Response Rate, and the count of open complaints.
2. Find the complaint that needs a response
Select the Open tab to see active complaints, then select the Needs Response secondary tab to filter for complaints waiting for your input. These complaints display a red "Needs Response" status badge and show a response deadline date.
You can also use the Assigned To dropdown filter to find complaints assigned to a specific team member or to see unassigned complaints.
3. Open the complaint detail
Click on the complaint row to open its detail page. The page is split into two sections:
Left column - The Complaint: Shows the complaint category, the client who filed it, the filing date, the reference number , any related cases, the client's description of the issue, their desired outcome (if provided), and any documentation files the client uploaded.
Right column - Your Response: Contains the response form with a deadline countdown showing how many days you have left.
The status bar at the top displays the current status, response deadline, assigned team member, and the client's name.
4. Write your response
In the right column, you will see the "Write your Response" form. Type your explanation in the text area (up to 10,000 characters). Use this space to explain your side of the situation.
5. Upload supporting evidence (optional)
Below the text area, use the drag-and-drop file upload zone to attach supporting documents. File upload rules:
Maximum file size: 25 MB per file
Accepted file types: .pdf, .doc, .docx, .xls, .xlsx, .jpg, .jpeg, .png, .txt, .zip, .csv, .eml
You can upload files only while the complaint status is "Needs Response." Once you submit your response, the upload window closes.
To remove an uploaded file before submitting, click the delete option next to the file.
6. Submit your response
Click Submit Response to send your reply. The button disables after clicking to prevent duplicate submissions.
7. Assign the complaint to a team member (optional, any time)
You can assign a complaint to a specific team member for internal routing. There are two ways to do this:
From the list page: Use the inline dropdown in the complaint row (under "Assigned To") to select a team member.
From the detail page: Use the dropdown in the status bar at the top of the page.
If all cases linked to the complaint share the same assigned collector, the complaint is automatically assigned to that person. You can reassign at any time while the complaint is open.
Result
After you submit your response, you will see a green success banner confirming that your response was submitted. The page also shows a "What happens next" summary with three steps:
Debitura reviews your response and may ask for more details.
Debitura assesses the severity and evaluates whether the complaint should affect your quality score.
Debitura shares the decision with both you and the client.
Your submitted response and any attached files are displayed as read-only on the complaint detail page.
Important details
Response deadline: You have 10 calendar days from when Debitura accepts the complaint. A reminder email is sent 3 days before the deadline.
If you miss the deadline: The complaint automatically escalates to the review stage without your input. Debitura will make a decision based on the available information.
Scoring impact: Only upheld complaints affect your Compliance Score. Declined and withdrawn complaints do not affect your score. For full details, see How Complaints Work.
Related articles
How Complaints Work - Full explanation of the complaint lifecycle and scoring impact
Handling Disputes with a Client - Troubleshooting for disputes about fees, withdrawals, and complaints