Complaint templates

If you wish to complain about a service or product, for example, first file the complaint with the company concerned. This may simply take the form of an informal, freely worded complaint.

The complaint template is what it implies, and it can be easily edited to meet your needs.    Please note that you are responsible for any edits you make.

Email the complaint to the company. Always remember to retain a copy of your complaint. If you are using the electronic form to file the complaint, save the content or take a screenshot of the form or a photo of it on your phone before sending it.

Air travel

  • Dear Sir, Madam,

    On <date> I was scheduled to fly with <name of the airline> from <place of departure> to <place of arrival>. This concerned flight <flight number>. This flight was cancelled by your airline within 14 days of the original departure date. I am therefore of the opinion that I am entitled to financial compensation.

    The amount of such compensation is set out in Section 7 of the European Regulation 261/2004. The amount can be calculated as: <calculate the amount of standard compensation by, for example, using the table on the FCCA’s website >. This rule applies to travelers leaving from an EU member state and to travellers originating from outside the EU travelling to an EU member state with a European airline.

    Optional: I incurred expenses due to the cancellation of the flight<s>, which were not compensated by your airline: <describe the additional costs you have incurred, such as staying at a hotel or having extra meals>. You have a statutory obligation to issue compensation for such expenses.

    I herewith request you to remit € <sum in euros> within 6 weeks to my account number <IBAN bank account number>, account holder <name> with payment reference ‘Compensation for flight cancellation’.

    If my request does not result in payment of the above-mentioned compensation amount, I will submit my complaint to the relevant supervisory authority.

    With kind regards,

    <Name and signature>

    Attachments:

    • Copy of booking confirmation
    • Copy of bank payment transaction
    • Copy of receipts: meals, transportation such as taxis, overnight hotel stays, essential items etc.
    • Copy of bank payment transaction (expenses)
    • Copy of correspondence (mail/letter announcing the cancellation of the flight)
    Copy link to clipboard
  • Dear Sir, Madam,

    On <date> I was scheduled to fly with <the name of the airline> from <place of departure> to <place of arrival>. This concerned flight <flight number on your ticket>. Upon arrival at the final destination, the flight had incurred a delay of <the length of the delay>. I am therefore of the opinion that I am entitled to financial compensation.

    The amount of such compensation is set out in Section 7 of the European Regulation 261/2004. The amount can be calculated as: <calculate the amount of standard compensation by, for example, using the table on the FCCA’s website>. This rule applies to travellers leaving from an EU member state and to travelers originating from outside the EU travelling to an EU member state with a European airline.

    Optional: I incurred expenses due to the delay of the flight<s>, which were not compensated by your airline: <describe the additional costs you have incurred, such as staying at a hotel or having extra meals>. You have a statutory obligation to issue compensation for such expenses.

    I herewith request you to remit € <sum in euros> within 6 weeks to my account number <IBAN bank account number>, account holder <name> with payment reference ‘Compensation for flight delay’.

    If my request does not result in payment of the above-mentioned compensation amount, I will submit my complaint to the relevant supervisory authority.

    With kind regards,

    <Name and signature>

    Attachments:

    • Copy of booking confirmation
    • Copy of bank payment transaction
    • Copy of receipts: meals, transportation such as taxis, overnight hotel stays, essential items etc.
    • Copy of bank payment transaction (expenses)
    • Copy of correspondence
    Copy link to clipboard
  • Dear Sir, Madam,

    On <date> I flew with <the name of the airline> from <place of depature> to <place of arrival>. This concerned flight <flight number on you ticket>. Upon arrival at my destination, my baggage was missing.

    At <the name of the airport>, I immediately submitted a PIR form with number <number of the form>. Please find a copy attached.

    I incurred expenses due to the delay in receiving my baggage, which were not compensated by your airline: <Describe the additional costs you have incurred, for example, hygiene supplies>. According to the Montreal Treaty, I am entitled to compensation for these expenses. I herewith hold you liable for the loss I incurred because of the delayed baggage.

    I herewith request you to remit € <amount of compensation you claim> within 14 days to my account number <IBAN account number>, account holder <name of the account holder> with payment reference ‘Expense claim: delayed baggage’.

    If my request does not result in receiving the above-mentioned compensation, I will consider starting a procedure for minor claims.

    With kind regards,

    <Name and signature>

    Attachments:

    • Copy of PIR form
    • Copy of boarding pass
    • Copy of baggage label
    • Copies of receipts of additional expenses
    Copy link to clipboard
  • Dear Sir, Madam,

    On <date> I flew with <the name of the airline> from <place of depature> to <place of arrival>. This concerned flight <flight number on you ticket>. Upon arrival at my destination, my baggage was missing.

    At <the name of the airport>, I immediately submitted a PIR form with number <number of the form>. Please find a copy attached.

    I incurred expenses due to the losing of my baggage, which were not compensated by your airline: <Describe the additional costs you have incurred, for example, hygiene supplies>. According to the Montreal Treaty, I am entitled to compensation for these expenses. I herewith hold you liable for the loss I incurred because of the lost baggage. The loss can be specified as follows: <State the contents of the lost baggage and attach receipts.>

    I herewith request you to remit € <amount of compensation you claim> within 14 days to my account number <IBAN account number>, account holder <name of the account holder> with payment reference ‘Expense claim: lost baggage’.

    If my request does not result in receiving the above-mentioned compensation, I will consider starting a procedure for minor claims.

    With kind regards,

    <Name and signature>

    Attachments:

    • Copy PIR form
    • Copy of boarding pass
    • Copy of baggage label
    • Copies of receipts of items in baggage
    • Copies of receipts of additional expenses
  • Dear Sir, Madam,

    On <date> I flew with <the name of the airline> from <place of departure> to <place of arrival>. This concerned flight <flight number on your ticket>. Upon arrival, my baggage came off the conveyor belt damaged. <Write a short description of the damage.>

    At <the name of the airport>, I immediately submitted a PIR form with number <number of form>. Please find a copy attached.

    I incurred expenses due to the damaging of my baggage, which were not compensated by your airline: <Describe the additional cost you have incurred, for example, hygiene supplies>. According to the Montreal Treaty, I am entitled to compensation for these expenses. I herewith hold you liable for the damage that my baggage incurred during the flight operated by your airline. <State the contents of the damaged baggage and attach receipts.>

    I herewith request you to remit € <amount of compensation you claim> within 14 days to my account number <IBAN account number>, account holder <name of the account holder> with payment reference ‘Expense claim: damaged baggage’.

    If my request does not result in receiving the above-mentioned compensation, I will consider starting a procedure for minor claims.

    With kind regards,

    <Name and signature>

    Attachments:

    • Copy PIR form
    • Copy of boarding pass
    • Copy of baggage label
    • Pictures of damaged baggage
    • Copies of receipts of items in baggage
    • Copies of receipts of additional expenses

Online shopping

  • Dear Sirs / customer service

    I ordered a <name of product you ordered> with order number <order number> on <date of the order>. My order was confirmed on <date on which you received an order confirmation from the vendor>.

    I will exercise my right to cancel the agreement and will demand the reimbursement of the purchase price of <the purchase price you paid> to the following account IBAN <your IBAN number> and SWIFT/BIC <your SWIFT/BIC code>. Refund should be paid and received within 14 days.

    Yours faithfully,

    <Name and signature>

  • Dear Sir, Madam,

    On <date of purchase>, I made an <online> purchase from your company ‘<name of the company>’, a <name of the product> for the sum of € <price of the product>. The product does not fulfil all prerequisites to be fit for purpose.

    Description of complaint

    <state why the product is faulty>

    X

    X

    First contact

    The law allows that I can expect goods to be of a satisfactory quality, free from defects and durable.  As the goods were faulty when I bought them, I request that you now provide a <repair / replacement / refund>.

    I request you to offer a suitable solution within 14 days of the date in this email. This can either be through repair, replacement, or refund of the <name of the product>.

    Second contact

    In my email of <date of the first email sent>, I requested you to offer a solution for this issue. To date, I have not received <a proposal/any response> from you. This email serves to give you one last opportunity to fulfil your obligations pursuant to this purchase contract.

    I request you to offer a suitable solution within 14 days of the date in this email. This can either be through repair, replacement or refund of the <name of the product>.

    Warranty

    I am entitled to a functional product pursuant to legislation. As the product became faulty within the warranty period, you are liable for repair or replacement free of charge.

    If free repair or replacement is not possible, I am entitled to termination of the purchase contract and a refund of the purchase amount.

    Please send me your response within 14 days of receiving this message.

     

    I await your response.

    With kind regards,

    <Name and signature>

    Attachment(s)

    • Copy: payment receipt for item
    • Copy of previous correspondence, if any
    • Copy of general terms and conditions, if any
    • Pictures of faulty product, if any
    Copy link to clipboard
  • Dear Sir/Madam

    I ordered a <name of product you ordered> with order number <order number> on <date of the order>. My order was confirmed on <date on which you received an order confirmation from the vendor>.

    <Use the following sentence if the vendor’s terms of delivery specify a delivery time or it has otherwise been agreed on; if not, omit this sentence and explain in your own words why you consider that the delivery is late.> It was agreed that the product would be delivered <specify a time, e.g.in 3–5 days, or a date, e.g. by 21 September>, but by today’s date I had not received the product.

    I therefore request that you deliver the product <specify the further period within which you expect delivery, e.g. within 2 weeks, or a date by which you expect delivery, e.g. by 21 October>.

    Should you fail to deliver the product within that time <if you specified a period> / by that date <if you specified a date>, I will exercise my right to cancel the agreement and will demand the reimbursement of the purchase price of <the purchase price you paid> to the following account: IBAN <your IBAN number>, SWIFT/BIC <your SWIFT/BIC code>.

    Yours faithfully,

    <Name and signature>

    Copy link to clipboard
  • Dear Sir, Madam,

    On <date>, I received an invoice from your company, <name of the company> for <product/service related to the invoice>, for a total sum of € <invoice amount>. This email serves to state my objection to this invoice.

    <Use option 1>

    TAI

    On <date>, I received a debt collection letter from <name of the collection company> which indicates that <name of the company > is entitled to a payment amounting to € <invoice amount> from me. You aim to collect this amount representing <name of the company>. This email serves to state my objection to this debt collection procedure.

    <Select an appropriate option (2 to 6) from below>

    Option 1 Unjustified invoice

    An agreement is concluded based on offer and acceptance. I have never approved an offer of your company ‘<name of the company>’. I am therefore of the opinion that no purchase contract exists and the invoice is void.

    If you are of the opinion that this concerns a valid purchase contract between me and <name of the company>, I hereby request you to send me a motivation and supporting documentation as evidence of my obligation to pay this invoice, such within 7 days of the date on this email. I request you in particular to send me the contract that proves I have agreed to the sales contract you refer to. I assume that you will suspend any further collection measures until this issue is cleared up.

    If you are of the opinion that this concerns a valid purchase contract between me and <name of the company>, I hereby request you to send me a motivation and supporting documentation as evidence of my obligation to pay this invoice, such within 7 days of the date on this email. I request you in particular to send me the contract that proves I have agreed to the sales contract you refer to. I assume that you will suspend any further collection measures until this issue is cleared up.

    Option 2: Unjustified debt collection, no contract

    This debt collection procedure is unjustified, as no purchase contract was ever concluded with <name of the company>. <State why the debt collection is unfounded.>

    If you are of the opinion that a sales contract between me and <name of the company> was agreed, then <name of the company> has the burden of proof. The company must provide evidence of how the agreement was concluded. If the company is unable to, I request you to void this debt collection letter and send me a confirmation in writing accordingly within 7 days of the date in this email. I assume that you will suspend any further collection measures until this issue is cleared up.

    Option 3: Unjustified debt collection, already paid

    This debt collection procedure is unjustified as I have already paid the amount stated in the letter of € <invoice amount> on <date>. Please find attached proof of payment.

    I request you to void this debt collection letter and send me a confirmation in writing accordingly within 7 days of the date in this email.

    Vaihtoehto 4: Unjustified debt collection, wrong amount

    The amount stated in the debt collection letter is not correct. The amount of € <amount stated in the collection letter> does not match the amount stated in the purchase contract, i.e. € <amount according to the contract>.

    I herewith request you to correct or void this debt collection letter and send me a confirmation in writing accordingly within 7 days of the date in this email.

    Option 5: Unjustified debt collection, fees exceed the statutory limit

    The debt collection fees of € <amount> exceeds the statutory limit.

    I herewith request you to correct or void this debt collection letter and send me a confirmation in writing accordingly within 7 days of the date in this email. I assume that you will suspend any further collection measures until this issue is cleared up.

    Option 6: Unjustified debt collection, defective product

    I have a dispute with <describe the problem (for example, an undelivered product) and the actions you have taken to resolve the problem>. <Name of the company> will first need to offer a solution for this issue before payment can be considered.

    I assume that you will suspend any further collection measures until this issue is cleared up. I request you to send me a confirmation in writing accordingly within 7 days of the date in this email.

    Option 7: Unjustified debt collection, unclear amount

    It is unclear how the principal amount invoiced has been determined. I herewith request you to specify how the amount charged was determined and send me a confirmation in writing accordingly within 7 days of the date in this email. I assume that you will suspend any further collection measures until this issue is cleared up.

    Legal steps

    If I do not receive a reaction from you within the above period of 7 days, I will submit a complaint to the European Consumer Centre.

    I await your response.

    With kind regards,

    <Name and signature>

    Attachment/Attachments

    • Copy of payment transaction, if any
    • Copy of purchase contract, if any
    • Copy of general terms and conditions, if any
    • Copy of previous correspondence, if any
    Copy link to clipboard

Car rental

  • Dear Sir, Madam,

    On / During the period between<date or period you rented the car for>, I rented a car from your car rental company <name of the rental company> in <city, country> under booking number <booking reference>. I am dissatisfied with the way you <reason for the complaint>. With this email, I am requesting a response and an appropriate resolution of my complaint.

    Desired resolution of complaint

    The services you provided do not fulfil my expectations because <explain why you are not satisfied, for example: you were given a car without a GPS navigation system even though you had booked one>. My expectations were based on the car rental contract. This contract states that <state what the rental agreement says>.

    Term for processing this complaint

    I hereby request that you offer me an appropriate solution within 14 working days of the date of this email. If you fail to do so, I reserve the right to claim compensation for the loss I have incurred. If you are of the opinion that my complaint is unfounded, I request that you send me a motivation and documentation based on which you think my complaint is unfounded.

    With kind regards,

    <Name and signature>

    Attachments:

    • Copy of contract/agreement
    Copy link to clipboard

Other matters

Templates for bankruptcy claims, subscription traps, holiday products, power of attorney template (POA).

  • <your name> <your address> <date>

    <name and address of the credit card company>

     

    CLAIM FOR A PAYMENT REFUND

    I have ordered a <name of product> from <name of company> on <date> and paid for it by credit card. The product has not been delivered, and I therefore request that <name of credit card company> refund me the erroneously charged sum of EUR <amount paid>.

    OR

    <Name of the company> -niminen yritys on tehnyt aiheettoman veloituksen / aiheettomia veloituksia luottokortiltani <date/s>.

    En ole tilannut yritykseltä veloitettua palvelua, jonka vuoksi vaadin, että <name of the credit card company> palauttaa minulle luottotililtäni aiheettomasti veloitetut <sum in euros>.

    Yours faithfully

    <Name and signature>

    ATTACHMENTS:

    • order confirmation
    • receipt
    • complaint sent to vendor
    • vendor’s response (if any)
    Copy link to clipboard
  • Dear Sir / Madam,

    On <date>, I purchased a <name of the product> from <name of the seller>, for the sum of € <price of the product>. Please find attached a copy of the order and the receipt.

    Please let me know if the order contract can still be fulfilled. If this is not an option, I herewith terminate the agreement.

    In that event, I herewith request you to refund the purchase sum of € <paid price> to my account number <your IBAN account number>, account holder <name of the account holder> with payment reference ‘Claim after bankruptcy <name of the seller>’.

    I await your response.

    With kind regards,

    <Nimi ja allekirjoitus>

    Attachments:

    • Order confirmation (Tilausvahvistus)
    • Copy of payment transaction (Kopio maksukuitista, esimerkiksi verkkopankista)
    • Copy of previous correspondence, if any (Kopio aiemmasta kirjeenvaihdosta, jos on)
    • Other relevant documents (Muita tarpeellisia dokumentteja)
    Copy link to clipboard
  • Dear Sir/Madam,

    <order number/invoice number>

    I noticed that you have charged my account without my permission on <date>.

    I have only purchased a <name of the product, if you ordered an inexpensive product and nothing else> from you and paid XX€ <paid amount in euros> for it, nothing else.

    OR

    I have only participated in your competition/inquiry <if you only took part in a competition or inquiry> and have not ordered anything.

    Kindly cancel the subscription immediately and confirm that you will not charge me more.

    I also ask you to refund the XX€ that was charged from my account.

    I would appreciate your prompt response, but request a reply to be provided within 14 days of receipt of this letter.

    Yours faithfully

    (Name and subscription)

    Copy link to clipboard
  • To <name and address of the company>

    I/we hereby cancel the following agreement. Name/number of the agreement: <number of the agreement>

    Date of the agreement:  <date when the agreement was made>

    Consumer/consumers name:
    Consumer/consumers address:

    Consumer/consumers signature: <signature (only if you are sending the complaint on paper)>

    Date:

    Copy link to clipboard
  • Power-of-attorney

    I, <name of granter>, hereby authorize <valtuutuksen saaja> to act on my behalf in the matter <name of grantee> that is being handled by the European Consumer Centre’s network.

    <Place and date>

    <Signature and print name>

    Copy link to clipboard