Discovery In Iraq Reveals Complaints 3,800 Years Old And Shows Poor Customer Service Is Older Than Previously Thought

Written by Bruno Teles

Published on 14/04/2025 at 15:47

Reclamações com 3.800 anos de história foram encontradas no Iraque. Tábua de argila mostra cliente da Babilônia indignado com atraso e produto ruim. Veja o que diz

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On an Ancient Clay Tablet Written in Cuneiform, a Babylonian Customer Expresses His Indignation Over Delays, Poor Quality, and Loss of Money — and Entered the Guinness

An excavation in the ruins of the ancient city of Ur, in present-day Iraq, revealed something surprising: complaints with a 3,800-year history. The main character is a merchant named Ea-Nasir, who sold poor quality copper, delayed deliveries, and deeply irritated a Babylonian customer named Nanni. The dissatisfaction was immortalized in a clay tablet — considered the oldest complaint letter ever recorded.

The message, written in cuneiform and preserved to this day in the British Museum, is a true outburst against trade failures in ancient Mesopotamia. The discovery shows that post-sale problems, unfulfilled promises, and the infamous “poor service” were already causes for outrage almost two millennia before Christ.

Clay Tablet Reveals Complaints with a 3,800-Year History

The historical piece measures 11.6 centimeters in height and was written by Nanni, a dissatisfied customer from ancient Babylon. The recipient was Ea-Nasir, a merchant and member of the Alik Tilmun guild, which specialized in metals such as copper.

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The Importance of the Letter to the History of Commerce

Translated by the Assyriologist A. Leo Oppenheim in his book Letters from Mesopotamia (1967), the letter went viral in 2018 after reports from Forbes magazine and Galileu. In 2023, it was included in the Guinness Book as the oldest recorded customer complaint in history.

The case shows that trade regulation, guarantees, and dissatisfaction with services are not modern phenomena. Even back then, consumers knew how to complain — vehemently — and recorded their grievances in writing, even without the internet, consumer protection agencies, or social media.

Discovery In Iraq Reveals Complaints 3,800 Years Old And Shows Poor Customer Service Is Older Than Previously Thought

On an Ancient Clay Tablet Written in Cuneiform, a Babylonian Customer Expresses His Indignation Over Delays, Poor Quality, and Loss of Money — and Entered the Guinness

Clay Tablet Reveals Complaints with a 3,800-Year History

The Importance of the Letter to the History of Commerce

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On an Ancient Clay Tablet Written in Cuneiform, a Babylonian Customer Expresses His Indignation Over Delays, Poor Quality, and Loss of Money — and Entered the Guinness

Clay Tablet Reveals Complaints with a 3,800-Year History

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