to complain / claim
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to complain
To complain about defective goods or an inadequate service and demand a repair, an exchange, or a refund of the purchase price.
Die Kaffeemaschine war schon nach einer Woche kaputt, also habe ich sie reklamiert.
The coffee machine broke after just one week, so I complained about it.
'Reklamieren' (to complain / claim) ends in '-ieren', which is typical for verbs borrowed from other languages. These verbs are always regular and form the past participle without 'ge-'.
Er hat den defekten Toaster gestern reklamiert.
He complained about the defective toaster yesterday.
You always 'reklamiert' (complain about) a product or service (accusative). The complaint is often addressed 'bei' a person or a shop/business (dative).
Ich möchte diese Hose beim Geschäftsführer reklamieren.
I would like to complain about these pants to the manager.
The meaning 'einfordern' (to demand/claim) is used almost exclusively in sports. Typical situations include claiming a free kick or pointing out a foul to the referee.
Der Stürmer reklamierte sofort ein Foul, aber das Spiel lief weiter.
The striker immediately claimed a foul, but play continued.
to demand / challenge
'fordern' and 'reklamieren' can both have to do with claiming or demanding something. 'fordern' is more general and can refer to rights, money, help, or changes. 'reklamieren' is used especially when shopping or with services, when something is defective and you want an exchange, repair, or refund. In sports, 'reklamieren' can also mean that someone challenges a decision. 'fordern' only says that you are demanding something emphatically; 'reklamieren' often also names the reason: something is wrong, or you believe you have a right to it.
Nach dem Einkauf reklamiert sie die kaputte Kaffeemaschine im Geschäft.
After shopping, she complains about the broken coffee machine at the store.
Der Kunde fordert eine schnelle Antwort auf seine Beschwerde.
The customer demands a quick response to his complaint.