How should one begin an indirect claim message?

A claim message needs to identify the transactions involved. This you can do early in the message as a part of the beginning. One way is to put the identification in the subject head in an email message or in the subject line of a letter. Whether you use a subject line and your first paragraph or the first paragraph alone to introduce the problem, choose your words with care. Such negatively charged words as complaint or disappointment can put your readers on the defensive before you have even had a chance to make your case.