How to sue Coinbase

Coinbase is one of the leading cryptocurrency exchange platforms in the United States. Coinbase offers a variety of services including cryptocurrency investing, a trading platform, and a wallet for retail investors. Coinbase initially only allowed for Bitcoin trading but has expanded to include Ethereum, XRP, Litecoin, and likely many others in the future. While it may offer all these services, Coinbase has had its share of user complaints. This article covers common types of customer complaints against Coinbase, how to sue Coinbase, and much more. 

Table of Contents:

• Types of customer complaints against Coinbase

• How to contact Coinbase Customer Service

• Review of Coinbase’s Terms and Conditions 

• Step by Step: How to sue Coinbase in small claims 

• Preparing the small claims lawsuit

• How to file the small claims lawsuit

• How to serve the small claims lawsuit

• Prepare for the small claims hearing

• How to file a complaint with the BBB against Coinbase 

Types of Customer Complaints Against Coinbase

Here are some common customer complaints against Coinbase:

• Unable to access a locked Coinbase account.

• Coinbase customer service doesn’t respond or very hard to get to live human customer support.

• Coinbase account getting hacked and funds transferred to unknown accounts.

• Unable to transfer funds from Coinbase account or errors when transferring funds from connected bank accounts. 

• Issues trying to close a Coinbase account. 

• Delayed transactions.

How to Reach Coinbase’s Customer Service 

Before you sue Coinbase in small claims court try contacting Coinbase Customer Service.  

Coinbase Customer Service Number: US/Intl  +1 (888) 908-7930 

Other ways you may reach Coinbase:

• Coinbase Contact Form 

• Coinbase Twitter Support Account

Review Coinbase’s Terms and Conditions before suing Coinbase 

First and foremost, make sure to review the terms and conditions or your contract with Coinbase. Here are some terms and conditions we found online but you need to to make sure they apply to you as they may change at any time: https://www.coinbase.com/legal/user_agreement/united_states.

Step 1: File a complaint through the Coinbase website first 

• At the time this article was published, Coinbase’s Terms and Conditions require a user to file a complaint with the Coinbase website or by mail before escalating their issue to small claims court.  

• To file a complaint through Coinbase, use this form: https://help.coinbase.com/en/contact-us/submit-a-complaint. Make sure to take a screenshot of the complaint you submitted and save any confirmation emails. 

Step 2: Bring the complaint to Arbitration

• If the dispute is not resolved through the “Formal Complaint Process”, you may bring your complaint to arbitration as part of the Arbitration Agreement under the Coinbase Terms and Conditions.

• Arbitration is a process where a private 3rd party Arbitrator decides your lawsuit against Coinbase. 

Step 3: Bring your Coinbase complaint to a small claims court

• You may also pursue your claim against Coinbase in your local small claims court.

Steps to suing Coinbase in small claims 

Here is an overview of how to sue Coinbase in small claims court:

• Step 1: Prepare and File the Lawsuit 

• Step 2: Notify Coinbase about the small claims lawsuit by serving them correctly 

• Step 3: Prepare for your small claims hearing against Coinbase 

Step 1: Prepare and file the lawsuit  

• Prepare the lawsuit using the proper form, this is usually available for download on your local small claims court website.

• The court will want to know why you are suing Coinbase, how much are you suing Coinbase for, and finally how you calculated the amount you are suing Coinbase for.

• You will need to search for the correct legal name (legal entity name) Coinbase uses in your state on the Secretary of State website for your state. 

• File the lawsuit. There are several ways you can file the lawsuit (1) in person at your local small claims court, (2) by mail (3) electronically (not available in all courts), (4) by fax (not available in all courts).

Step 2: Notify Coinbase about the small claims lawsuit

• Once the court returns the filed lawsuit to you, the next step is to serve Coinbase (serving means to notify Coinbase that they have been sued).

• There are different rules on how to serve a company in each state so make sure you review the rules for serving. In many states you will need to serve the “agent for service of process” that Coinbase selects in each state. This is usually a company or person that is authorized by Coinbase to receive lawsuit documents on its behalf. 

• To serve the small claims court lawsuit on Coinbase you must serve their "Agent for Service of Process." This is a company that Coinbase has selected to receive lawsuits on their behalf. ‍

• Always make sure to confirm with the court if there any additional filings you need to complete and file after you have served Coinbase. 

Step 3: Prepare for your small claims hearing

• Prepare your statement for the judge. Be prepared to tell the judge why you are suing Coinbase.

• Prepare your evidence. This is one of the most important steps to winning a small claims lawsuit! Evidence like screenshots, emails, and pictures, should be brought to the hearing (you should make a copy for yourself, the judge, and Coinbase).

Your evidence might include: 

• A copy of the complaint you submitted to Coinbase

• Coinbase’s response to your complaint

• Communications with Coinbase

• Screenshots of your account with Coinbase 

How to file a complaint with the BBB against Coinbase 

What is the BBB?

The BBB, Better Business Bureau, is a non-profit that serves as an intermediary between businesses such as Coinbase and consumers.

What types of complaints against Coinbase does the BBB handle?

The BBB recently reviewed Coinbase complaints. Based on BBB files, Coinbase has a pattern of complaints, which include consumers being locked out of their accounts, or consumers experiencing difficulty reaching the company.

You can read Coinbase BBB reviews here. 

Read More: How to file a complaint with the Better Business Bureau (BBB)

How to file a complaint against Coinbase with the BBB

1. Go to the Better Business Bureau website.

2. Scroll to the bottom of the page and click the button “Start Your  Complaint.”

What to Expect Once you Submit your Complaint to the BBB

• The BBB will forward your complaint to Coinbase within 2 business days.

• Coinbase will be asked to respond within 14 days, and if a response is not received, a second request will be made.

• You will be notified of Coinbase’s response when the BBB receives it (or notified that they received no response).

• Complaints against Coinbase are usually closed within 30 business days.