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Filing a complaint about a bus and coach transport

If there were defects in your bus or coach journey or you are not satisfied with the care or compensation you got, first contact the carrier in question. You usually must file a complaint within a reasonable time of having noticed the defect, which is why you should make your complaint as soon as possible.

1. First file a complaint with the carrier

When the scheduled distance of the service is 250 kilometres or more, the passenger has the right to cancellation or re-routing and care, regardless of their intended travel distance on this service. If there is a problem, first ask a carrier to take care of your rights. If the carrier does not offer the agreed services or compensation and those required by law, file a written complaint with the carrier as soon as possible. The carrier has a duty to tell you about your rights if your bus or coach journey is cancelled or delayed.

Instructions for filing a complaint

• File the complaint in writing. The complaint should be filed as soon as possible and within three months of the date of your journey.
• The complaint must clearly indicate who is filing the complaint and with whom as well as the journey concerned and reasons for submitting the complaint. You should explain what your demands are and what they are based on.
• If you wish, you can use the Complaint Assistant to help you with the complaint. You can use the Assistant in Finnish, Swedish and English.
• Save and keep a copy of your complaint.
• In the event of a delay or cancellation, covered by the EU regulation, the carrier must inform you within one month of receiving your complaint whether the complaint is approved, rejected, or is still being considered.
• The final answer must be issued within three months from receipt of the complaint pertaining to a delay or cancellation.

Filing a complaint with a company

The Complaint Assistant

2. Contact the Consumer Advisory Services or the European Consumer Centre

If your complaint does not produce the result you hoped for, contact the Consumer Advisory Services or the European Consumer Centre. To access guidance, select the most suitable option:

  • Consumer Advice Telephone Service

    NOTE! Read the exception schedules from the link. Service time normally Monday–Wednesday and Friday 9 am – noon, Thursday noon – 3 pm.

    09 5110 1200 (only in Finnish)

  • European Consumer Centre Finland

    Service time Mon–Thu from 9 am –12 pm

    European Consumer Centre Finland help consumers with problems related to cross-border trade. Our main themes are travel ande-commerce.

    +358 29 505 3090

3. Take your claim to the Consumer Disputes Board or report a violation of the law to the authorities

If a carrier violates your rights as a passenger, you can file a complaint with the relevant enforcement authority. Each EU country has an authority that enforces passenger rights under the EU Regulation.

If your bus or coach journey took place in another EU-country, send the complaint to the authority of the country where the incident occurred. You should file your complaint in English or in the language of the Member State in question.

The supervisory authorities in Finland are the Consumer Ombudsman within the Finnish Competition and Consumer Authority and the Finnish Transport and Communications Agency Traficom.

  • In Finland, individual disputes and claims for compensation between a consumer and a carrier are handled by the Consumer Disputes Board, which is an impartial and free dispute resolution body. Visit the Consumer Disputes Board’s website to find out about the situations in which you should take your complaint to the Consumer Disputes Board.

    Please note that before you take your case to the Consumer Disputes Board, you must first submit a complaint to the carrier. In most cases, you should also first contact the Consumer Advisory Services.

  • The Consumer Ombudsman of the the Finnish Competition and Consumer Authority, supervises the marketing, contract terms and practices of carriers operating in Finland in their customer relationships as well as compliance with the Regulation on passengers’ rights, placing emphasis on the collective interests of consumers.

    The Consumer Ombudsman does not handle individual compensation cases or disputes or respond individually to reports from consumers. We can process consumer contacts made in Finnish, Swedish or English.

  • The Finnish Transport and Communications Agency Traficom enforces the compliance with the Regulation on passengers’ rights for the part of business travellers. This means that business travellers can contact Traficom in case of cancellation or delay on a journey of 250 kilometres or more. Traficom also supervises the rights of passengers with disabilities or reduced mobility.

Package travel

In the case of charter bus service included in the package holiday, you can claim compensation for a defect in the package from the travel organizer.

Read also

Package travel defects and refunds