What to Do Before Sending a Case to the Ombudsman?
1. I travelled by train, incurred additional costs, I want to get a refund. May I call the Ombudsman?
You should turn to the carrier by whose train you travelled or any other entity who committed any irregularity, for example, the railway infrastructure manager or railway station manager. If you are not satisfied with the reply you receive or if you do not receive one at all, then direct the case to the Ombudsman.
2. I want to file a complaint with a carrier, but there are several of them. How do I check what company owns the train by which I travelled?
Such information is provided on the ticket, which usually features the box: “Carrier”. Note that the information provided in the top section of a ticket does not contain the carrier, but the company that sold a given ticket. It is possible to purchase tickets from the ticket office for trains which are owned by several different companies.
A list of carriers and basic contact information may also be found on the Website of the Office of Rail Transport.
3. What information should I provide in my complaint?
You should include your own contact details, the data of the entity whom you are addressing and the amount you expect to get reimbursed. Remember to attach the original ticket and original or authenticated copies of other documents related to the claim of your complaint. For example, if, as a result of a train delay or cancellation, you had to use another means of transport, you would attach a taxi bill or a bus ticket.
You may send your complaint by regular postal service to a given company or submit it in any ticket office selling tickets for the connections it services. You may also send your complaint by email but check before if the carrier permits it. In that situation you can attach copies of the documents. Carrier can ask you to send originals in case of doubts.
4. When will I receive a reply to my complaint?
A carrier is obliged to provide an answer as soon as possible, but no later than within 30 days of its receipt. Remember that a company only has to prepare its reply within this deadline; its delivery by a postal service operator may take an additional few days.
5. A carrier has failed to reply within the deadline; what can I do?
No reply within the statutory deadline implies an acknowledgement of a complaint. However, it needs to be checked whether it has been actually a given company that has failed to reply to your complaint or it has been the postal service operator’s mistake.
In such case, you can ask the Office of Rail Transport for help by writing to the following address: pasazer@utk.gov.pl. Employees of the Office will apply to a given company obliging it to provide an urgent clarification. You will receive an appropriate reply as soon as they have it.
6. What is the difference between an objection [skarga] and a complaint [reklamacja]?
A complaint involves a specific financial claim; for example, you expect to get a refund for some travel costs, or to be granted some compensation, etc. An objection pertains only to the explanation of reasons for an irregularity, but does not involve a claim.