This research examines the association between consumer protection knowledge, internal locus of control and societal benefits on complaint intention and action in Malaysia. This study builds on the previous work by introducing two moderating variables, gender and age as addition, influence relationship between three predict variables and complaint intention. Two other moderating variables were also added into the connection between complaint intention and complaint action. According to the survey of 834 respondents taking from the Malaysia National Consumer Complaint Centre, the Tribunal for Consumer Claims Malaysia, and three shopping malls, the research findings suggest that societal benefits has the strongest influences on complaint intention, there was followed by consumer protection knowledge, and internal locus of control respectively. The article also found that gender and age have moderating effects on the relationship between three predictors and complaint intention. In addition, the difficulty of making a complaint and importance of product were also found to moderate the relationship between complaint intention and complaint action.

Keywords: Complaint Intention; Complaint Action; Consumer Protection Knowledge; Internal Locus of Control; Societal Benefits.