Consumer: templates and forms

A claim letter to the airline under EU Regulation (EC) No 261/2004, written for Germany: €250, €400 or €600 compensation per passenger when you reached your destination three hours or more late, your flight was cancelled at short notice, or you were denied boarding. It sets out the flight, the amount by distance, a refusal of vouchers, your out-of-pocket costs and a payment deadline, and names the German conciliation bodies that come next. For passengers on the same booking too. In German.

The claim letter to the airline when your flight reached its destination at least three hours late, was cancelled at short notice, or you were denied boarding: you claim compensation of €250, €400 or €600 per passenger under Article 7 of Regulation (EC) No 261/2004, plus costs you paid for meals and accommodation, with a payment deadline and your account. If the airline does not answer, or answers unsatisfactorily, within six weeks, Austria's Agency for Passenger Rights (apf) helps free of charge; this letter is the first step there. In German.

A letter cancelling your home-contents, personal liability, legal expenses, buildings, accident or pet liability insurance in Germany: with ordinary notice at the end of the insurance period, within one month of a premium increase (§ 40 of the German Insurance Contract Act, VVG), after a claim, or, for contracts of more than three years, at the end of the third year (§ 11 VVG) — each time, failing that, for the earliest possible date. It revokes the direct-debit mandate and asks for confirmation of the end date. Motor insurance has a document of its own. In German.

A letter cancelling a gym contract or another running subscription in Germany — a membership, a magazine, a streaming or delivery plan. You give ordinary notice for the earliest possible date, or terminate for good cause under § 314 of the German Civil Code (BGB), such as a lasting illness with a doctor's certificate; you revoke the SEPA direct-debit mandate from the end date and ask for confirmation of it in writing. For contracts since 1 March 2022, at most one month's notice applies after the first term (§ 309 No. 9 BGB). In German.

A consumer complaint to your electricity or gas supplier in Germany — a wrong bill, excessive instalments, a meter reading not taken over, a missing bonus or a termination left unconfirmed. The letter gives customer number, meter number and supply address, describes the problem, asks for a remedy and points to the four-week statutory deadline for an answer (§ 111a of the German Energy Industry Act, EnWG). If it fails, it is the precondition for a free application to the energy conciliation body, the Schlichtungsstelle Energie (§ 111b EnWG). Not for water or district heating. In German.

The declaration to the seller when repair or replacement of defective goods has failed, in Austria: you claim an appropriate price reduction or termination of the sale (formerly Wandlung), giving the ground, the amount, a payment deadline and your account. Under § 12 of the Austrian Consumer Warranty Act (VGG) for consumer purchases from 2022 and § 932 of the Austrian Civil Code (ABGB). Termination is excluded for a minor defect; a price reduction remains. After termination the seller pays for the return. The rights must reach a court within three months after the warranty period ends (§ 28 VGG). In German.

Notice ending your electricity or gas contract in Germany after an announced price increase, without a notice period, on the day the new price is due to apply. Outside basic supply this rests on § 41(5) of the German Energy Industry Act (EnWG), in basic supply (Grundversorgung) on § 5(3) of the StromGVV or GasGVV; basic supply can also be ended at any time on two weeks' notice. With customer and meter numbers, supply address, date of the price notice, a fallback notice for the next possible date and a request to confirm the end date in text form. In German.

The withdrawal notice for an online purchase, an order by phone or catalogue, or a contract made away from the trader's premises in Austria: you withdraw within 14 days without giving reasons under § 11 of the Austrian Distance and Off-Premises Contracts Act (FAGG) and ask for your money back. The model withdrawal form in the FAGG's annex is free and works just as well; no form is prescribed, and sending in time is enough. For contracts made online from 1 October 2026 the shop must also offer a withdrawal function (§ 13a FAGG). In German, ready to sign and send.

A letter ending your household contents, personal liability or legal-expenses insurance in Austria: at the end of the insurance period or term; under § 8 Abs 3 of Austria's Insurance Contract Act (VersVG), for a contract of more than three years, on one month's notice for the end of the third and each later year; or after a claim. With policy number, type of insurance, start date, revocation of the direct debit and a request for written confirmation. Motor insurance has its own document. In German.

A letter ending a gym contract or a running subscription in Austria — a magazine, a membership, streaming or a delivery plan. You give ordinary notice for the earliest date; for a magazine or delivery plan, notice under § 15 of Austria's Consumer Protection Act (KSchG), two months before the end of the first year and then of each half-year; notice for good cause such as illness or pregnancy; or notice for the original end date where you were not reminded before an automatic renewal (§ 6 Abs 1 Z 2 KSchG). With revocation of the direct debit and a request to confirm the end date. In German.

A letter ending your mobile, landline or internet contract with a provider in Austria: with ordinary notice for the earliest date, at the end of the minimum term, or extraordinarily after a change to the terms or charges that is not solely to your benefit — then with no remaining charges for the minimum term (§ 135 of Austria's Telecommunications Act, TKG 2021). After the minimum term, at most one month's notice applies. With customer, contract and phone numbers, revocation of the direct debit and a request for written confirmation of the end date. In German.

A letter withdrawing from a purchase made online, by phone or by catalogue, or from a contract signed at your door, in Germany. Under §§ 312g and 355 of the German Civil Code (BGB) a consumer may withdraw within 14 days without giving reasons. The letter carries everything the statutory model withdrawal form asks for — order date, date the goods arrived, order number, the goods, your name and address — in its own words, and asks for the refund within 14 days and a confirmation of receipt. In German, ready to send by e-mail or post.

The second step of a complaint about faulty goods in Germany. If the seller did not repair or replace the goods in time after being told of the defect, the defect returned after a repair, or the seller refused, you declare withdrawal from the sale or a reduction of the price (§§ 437 and 441 of the German Civil Code, BGB) — when buying from a trader, without a further deadline (§ 475d BGB). With purchase date, defect, ground, amount to refund, deadline for payment and IBAN. In German.

A notice ending a mobile, DSL, cable or fibre contract in Germany under the Telecommunications Act (TKG): ordinary notice at the earliest date, one month's notice once the minimum term has ended (§ 56 TKG), notice because you are moving (§ 60 TKG), because the internet is too slow and a deadline to fix it has passed, with the regulator's measurement record (§ 57(4) TKG), or after a one-sided change to the contract. With customer and contract numbers, phone number and a request to confirm the end date. In German.

E-Control, Austria's energy regulator, offers a free model letter for this. This document is your own objection to a price or terms change announced by your electricity or gas supplier in Austria. For electricity, households can object within four weeks of receiving the notice, free and whatever the binding period (§ 21 of Austria's Electricity Act, ElWG); the contract then ends after the statutory period, on the old terms until then. Outside a binding period you can also give two weeks' notice (§ 24 ElWG). Gas is governed by the GWG 2011. With customer number, metering point and a request to confirm the end date. In German.

The RTR, Austria's telecoms regulator, offers its own free online form for its conciliation body. This document is your written application — to send by post or email, or as ready text to paste into that form: the provider, customer and phone numbers, the facts, your objection to the provider and its answer, what you ask for and the amount disputed, with your consent to its being passed on. For disputes over bills, contracts, notices or faults in service. Once a bill objection is lodged with the RTR, the disputed amount is not due until the procedure ends (§ 145 TKG 2021). In German.