A clay tablet from ancient Mesopotamia contained a customer complaint about copper quality. Discovered in the city-state of Ur, it dates back to around 1750 BC. The tablet measures about 11.6 centimeters tall and 5.0 centimeters wide.
This complaint was made by a man named Nanni. He expressed dissatisfaction with copper ingots sold by a trader named Ea-nāṣir. Nanni sent his servant to deliver payment, but the quality of the copper was deemed unacceptable.
Nanni's complaint letter criticized both the copper grade and the treatment of his servant during the transaction. He had not accepted the copper but had already paid for it. This ancient complaint was inscribed in Akkadian cuneiform, and it's recognized as the oldest customer complaint by Guinness World Records.
The tablet was discovered by Sir Leonard Woolley during an archaeological expedition in the 1920s and is now housed in the British Museum. Various translations of the tablet have been made over the years, contributing to its fame.
In recent years, the tablet has gained popularity on the internet as a meme, showcasing its surprisingly modern theme of consumer dissatisfaction. It highlights that complaints about goods have existed for thousands of years.
