First contact the carrier
In the event of a problem, always first contact the carrier operating the service. You must lodge your complaint within three months.
Business traveller: make a complaint if your bus or coach service was delayed or cancelled and your rights were not respected
If your bus or coach service is cancelled or delayed by more than two hours, you can choose re-routing or cancel the journey and be reimbursed for the ticket price. If you have not been offered this choice, you can also demand compensation for 50% of the ticket price.
REMINDER REGARDING YOUR RIGHT TO REIMBURSEMENT WHEN A CARRIER CANCELS YOUR TRIP
When a carrier cancels your trip, you are entitled to reimbursement of the ticket price or re-routing in accordance with EU passenger rights regulations.
If you choose reimbursement, you are entitled to a cash refund. The carrier may alternatively offer you a voucher, but you have the right to refuse it.
Learn more about your right to reimbursement and other passenger rights on these Traficom webpages and the website of the European Commission, which contains a wealth of information on passenger rights during the coronavirus pandemic. For the European Commission's interpretative guidelines on passenger rights in the context of the Covid-19 pandemic, see the following link: https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/HTML/?uri=CELEX:52020XC0318(04)&from=FI (External link) .
CONTACT THE CORRECT AUTHORITY
In Finland, passenger complaints are handled by two authorities. The relevant authority depends on whether you were travelling as a consumer or as a business traveller.
You are considered a consumer if you travel for leisure and pay for your own journey. Please contact the Consumer Advisory Service (External link). Consumer complaints are resolved by the Consumer Disputes Board.
You are considered a business traveller if you travel for work and your employer pays your flights. In this case, please contact Traficom.
Before making a complaint, learn about your rights in different situations
Your right to compensation applies to regular bus and coach services in the EU, if the distance of the service is at least 250 km. The EU regulation concerning the rights of passengers in bus and coach transport also applies to services between Finland and Norway.
The right does not apply to charter services.
Regulation (EU) No 181/2011 of the European Parliament and of the Council concerning the rights of passengers in bus and coach transport will be applied to regular services between Finland and Russia as of 1 March 2021.
How to make a complaint
Wait for the carrier’s response
Within one month of receiving your complaint, the carrier must inform you of whether your complaint has been substantiated, rejected or is still being considered.
The carrier must give you a final reply within three months of receiving your complaint.
Choose the correct authority
If you are not satisfied with the response you get to your complaint, you can contact the authority overseeing passenger rights. Make sure you complain to the right authority.
In Finland, there are two authorities handling passenger right complaints. The relevant authority depends on whether you are a consumer or a business traveller.
According to law, you are a consumer if you were travelling for leisure and paid for the journey yourself. Please contact the Consumer Advisory Service (External link). Consumer complaints are resolved by the Consumer Disputes Board.
If you were travelling in another EU country, send your complaint to the relevant authority in the country where the incident took place. Contact information of competent authorities in other EU countries (External link).
Traficom handles complaints from business travellers
Business travellers can send their complaints to Traficom by e-mail.
Attach to the complaint your correspondence with the carrier, a copy of your ticket and any other documents you consider relevant.
Send your complaint to kirjaamo@traficom.fi .
If your complaint contains personal information, you can send it as a secure message. Instructions for sending secure email to Traficom. (External link)
If you cannot send the complaint documents by e-mail, you can send them to Traficom by post: Finnish Transport and Communications Agency Traficom, PO Box 320, 00059 TRAFICOM, Finland.
Traficom may issue recommendations
Traficom has competence to issue recommendations concerning complaints by business travellers.