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The Times of India

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TOI World Desk

The world's first known customer complaint: Nearly 4,000 years ago, a man bought low-quality copper, complained to the seller on a clay tablet, and created the world's oldest known customer complaint

EA copper Mesopotamia the British Museum

Today, a dissatisfied customer would probably leave a one-star review, send an email complaint, or post on social media. In fact, almost 4,000 years ago, one Mesopotamian client had a much older way of voicing his displeasure: carving a complaint on a clay tablet. This customer complaint is believed to be among the oldest known written customer complaints ever discovered. The complaint dates back to 1750 BC and narrates Nanni's discontent regarding the bad quality of the copper received and the way the merchant resolved the problem.

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