On a recent city break, my wife and I booked a trip for two from Ljubljana in Slovenia to Umag in Croatia, costing £40 with a big international coach company.
When we boarded, the driver scanned our tickets. People were sitting in our seats, which we flagged, but we were told to just sit somewhere else.
An hour later, I realised the bus was going to Munich, Germany – the opposite direction.
We had to travel back to Ljubljana in a £32 taxi, book a hotel for £75 and get another £40 bus the next day.
Should the coach company refund us? As our tickets were scanned, I think it should take some responsibility.
S.M., by email.
Dean Dunham replies: Yes, it absolutely should. The key point here is that your tickets were scanned and accepted by the driver, which means the coach company effectively confirmed you were on the correct service.
Once that happened, it had a duty of care to ensure you were taken to the right destination.
Unlike most of the issues I deal with for readers, this is one where the Consumer Rights Act 2015 does not apply, as this took place outside of the UK and your contract is not with a British entity.
However, Croatia is in the EU and, thankfully, its consumer laws are as good as they are here in the UK.
Under a law known as EU Regulation 181/2011, which still applies to most international coach services operating in Europe, passengers are entitled to compensation or a full refund when the carrier fails to provide the contracted journey.
The company’s staff (who was the coach driver, in this case) caused the error by putting you on the wrong bus, so the firm is clearly at fault.
You should, therefore, claim a full refund for the original £40 fare, plus reimbursement of the taxi and hotel costs that arose as a direct result of the firm’s mistake.
Write formally to the company’s
customer service department. Include copies of all receipts and state that if it refuses to reimburse you, you’ll escalate the matter to the European Consumer Centre, ECC-Net, which assists with cross-border disputes.
Artfully duped into annual subscription
I ordered and paid for an online painting course. A month later, the company I used charged me £90.75 via PayPal for an annual subscription.
I didn’t sign up for a free trial or subscription of any kind. The company is ignoring my emails and I can’t find a phone number. What can I do?
M.C., by email.
Dean Dunham replies: This sort of problem is cropping up far too often. Many online firms are luring consumers in with what looks like a simple one-off purchase, only to sneak in hidden or misleading subscription terms.
The good news is, if you didn’t knowingly agree to a recurring payment, the charge is unauthorised and you have strong rights under UK consumer laws.
The Consumer Rights Act 2015 says any term that isn’t made clear and transparent is not legally binding.
So if the company failed to clearly tell you that your payment would roll into an annual subscription, it can’t rely on it.
Your next step should be to email the company again, but this time make it a formal complaint.
State clearly that you did not agree to a subscription, demand a refund within 14 days and warn that you will report the firm to its local Trading Standards office and the Competition and Markets Authority for unfair trading if it does not honour your request.
If this does not get you your refund, raise a dispute with PayPal. Explain that the payment was taken without your consent and that the company isn’t responding.
PayPal has a buyer protection process and, in cases such as yours, will often refund you directly.
You should also log in to your PayPal account and cancel any active billing agreement with the company to prevent future charges.
If all else fails, your last resort would be to turn to the small claims court, but hopefully this will not be necessary.
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