When a booking or purchase goes wrong: keep the evidence usable

Create a simple record

Keep the receipt or booking confirmation, the description you relied on, the agreed date and any relevant terms. If something goes wrong, write a short timeline while the details are fresh. Identify the product or service, what happened and what response you are seeking. A clear record is easier for a trader or an adviser to assess than a long collection of disconnected screenshots. Retain the original documents and avoid editing a screenshot in a way that removes the context needed to understand it.

Contact the trader first

The MCCAA’s consumer complaint process asks whether the consumer has tried to resolve the problem with the seller and submitted a written complaint describing the issue and requested remedy. Start calmly and be specific. A booking operator, a restaurant, a retailer and a third-party platform may have different roles, so identify the party that sold the service rather than assuming the venue is responsible for every payment. Ask for an explanation and keep the reply. If speaking by phone, follow up in writing so both sides have a usable record.

Use the right official route

If the matter remains unresolved, consult the Office for Consumer Affairs through the Malta Competition and Consumer Affairs Authority. Its complaint form and guidance explain the information expected and the steps to take before submission. Check the current process and any applicable deadlines directly; do not assume that a request made to an unrelated directory starts a formal complaint. Telecommunications and some other sectors also have specialist authorities, so describe the issue accurately when asking where it belongs. Avoid sending personal documents to a contact whose identity you have not verified.

Keep the desired outcome proportionate and clear

Explain what would resolve the issue and distinguish confirmed facts from assumptions. A poor experience, a cancellation and a product fault raise different questions, and this guide cannot determine the legal result or promise a refund. Obtain official information or advice suited to the particular purchase before relying on a claimed entitlement. Save any case reference and follow the authority’s instructions for additional evidence. Merħba can signpost the process, but correspondence with the trader and the appropriate authority is what makes the problem concrete and reviewable.

PLAN YOUR VISIT