I Wrote a Press Release Announcing My Refund. The Company Responded Immediately.

Subject: Press Release: Unresolved Refund Threatens Company Reputation. Body: FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE - [City] - A local customer is threatening to go public with a story about an unresolved refund dispute. BACKGROUND: The customer purchased [Product] and received a defective item. TIMELINE: 20 days of silence from [Company]. WHAT'S NEXT: If the refund is not processed within 48 hours, the customer will post the full story on Reddit (estimated reach: 50,000+ readers), Twitter (estimated reach: 2,000 followers), and will contact local news outlets. QUOTE FROM CUSTOMER: "I just want my $80 back. I do not want to be a news story." The company refunded my $80 within 2 hours and asked me to please not post the press release. Formatting an email as a press release makes it seem more serious. It signals that you are prepared to escalate.