Complaint letter in the Netherlands: klachtbrief, next steps

Quick answer

Complain first to the seller, not the manufacturer, in a complaint letter (klachtbrief). For goods, notice within two months of discovering the defect is always in time (art. 7:23 lid 1 BW), and a defect that appears within one year of delivery is presumed to have existed then (art. 7:18a lid 2 BW). Ask for free repair or replacement (art. 7:21 BW). If nothing happens, send a written formal notice (ingebrekestelling) with a reasonable deadline, usually two weeks (art. 6:82 BW). Then turn to De Geschillencommissie if the company is affiliated, Kifid for financial services, or the kantonrechter.

This guide covers complaints by consumers to companies in the Netherlands about goods and services: a faulty product, a late delivery or a service not provided as agreed. It is general information, not legal advice. For an unpaid refund, see payment demands in the Netherlands; for a problem with a landlord, see tenant letters in the Netherlands; to end a subscription, see cancelling a contract in the Netherlands.

Check your rights first

A product must conform to the contract: it must have the properties you could expect for normal use and for any special use agreed (art. 7:17 BW). In a consumer sale, a defect that appears within one year of delivery is presumed to have existed at delivery unless the seller proves otherwise (art. 7:18a lid 2). You can demand free repair or replacement within a reasonable time (art. 7:21); if that fails or is refused, or the defect is serious, you can terminate the contract (ontbinden) unless the defect is minor, or ask for a price reduction (art. 7:22). These rights cannot be limited against you, and a commercial guarantee comes on top of them (art. 7:6 and 7:6a). ACM ConsuWijzer, the consumer service of the Dutch competition and consumer authority, says the statutory guarantee lasts as long as you could expect the product to work, that you may escalate after the first failed repair, and that the “three repair attempts” rule is a myth.

For a service, a protest must come “binnen bekwame tijd”, within a reasonable time after you discover the problem, with no fixed safe period (art. 6:89 BW). Online businesses must show their address, e-mail and trade register (KvK) number (art. 3:15d BW): write to that establishment address.

Write your complaint letter (klachtbrief)

For goods, notify the seller within a reasonable time after you discover the defect; in a consumer sale, two months from discovery is always in time (art. 7:23 lid 1 BW). Your claims then expire two years after the notice (lid 2), so keep proof of when it was sent and received. Give the order and invoice numbers, the make and type, the price, the date you discovered the defect and what you want. Ask for one clear remedy. Send copies of the invoice and photos, never originals. For a service, describe what was not done as agreed and replace the product sentences. Add both addresses and the date.

Onderwerp: Klacht over [product] — bestelnummer [bestelnummer]

Geachte heer, mevrouw,

Op [aankoopdatum] heb ik bij u [merk en type van het product] gekocht voor [bedrag] euro (bestelnummer [bestelnummer], factuurnummer [factuurnummer]).

Op [datum van ontdekking] heb ik vastgesteld dat [omschrijving van het gebrek]. Ik heb het product normaal gebruikt. Het product beantwoordt daardoor niet aan de overeenkomst (artikel 7:17 BW). [Indien het gebrek zich binnen een jaar na aflevering heeft voorgedaan: Omdat het gebrek zich binnen een jaar na aflevering heeft voorgedaan, wordt vermoed dat het al bij aflevering aanwezig was (artikel 7:18a lid 2 BW).]

Ik verzoek u het product kosteloos te [herstellen / vervangen] (artikel 7:21 BW) en mij binnen twee weken na ontvangst van deze brief te laten weten hoe en wanneer u dat doet. Kopieën van [de factuur, foto’s en eerdere correspondentie] stuur ik mee.

Met vriendelijke groet, [Voornaam en achternaam]

Set a final deadline: ingebrekestelling

If the company does not solve the problem, send a written demand (schriftelijke aanmaning) that gives a reasonable deadline; once it passes, the company is in default (art. 6:82 lid 1 BW). The law does not fix the deadline; two weeks is customary in ACM ConsuWijzer’s model letters. Choose an end date that falls on a working day. No notice is needed if a fixed deadline has already passed or the company says it will not perform (art. 6:83). Default matters because, where performance is still possible, you can terminate the contract only once the company is in default (art. 6:265 lid 2), and in a consumer sale you can have the repair done elsewhere at the seller’s cost only after a written demand (art. 7:21 lid 6). Termination itself is made by a written declaration (art. 6:267). Official guidance accepts e-mail for an ingebrekestelling, but the statute does not settle whether a plain e-mail is “written”, so a letter is safer. Do not accept a voucher instead of a refund, and do not pay a disputed amount until the problem is solved.

The example sets the deadline, says what you will do if it passes and reserves your rights, which also interrupts limitation (art. 3:317 BW). Keep only the options that fit your case.

Onderwerp: Ingebrekestelling — [product of dienst], bestelnummer [bestelnummer]

Geachte heer, mevrouw,

Op [datum] heb ik u per [brief of e-mail] gemeld dat [product of dienst] niet aan de overeenkomst beantwoordt, namelijk [korte omschrijving van het gebrek], en u gevraagd om [herstel of vervanging]. [U hebt niet gereageerd. / Uw reactie van [datum] biedt geen oplossing.]

Ik stel u hierbij in gebreke en geef u een laatste termijn tot en met [datum, ten minste twee weken na ontvangst van deze brief] om [het product kosteloos te herstellen of te vervangen / de overeengekomen dienst alsnog correct uit te voeren].

Komt u uw verplichtingen niet binnen deze termijn na, dan bent u in verzuim (artikel 6:82 BW). Ik behoud mij dan het recht voor de overeenkomst te ontbinden en terugbetaling van [bedrag] euro te vorderen, [bij een consumentenkoop: het gebrek op uw kosten door een ander te laten herstellen (artikel 7:21 lid 6 BW),] en schadevergoeding te vorderen. Bij ontbinding ben ik niet verplicht een tegoedbon of een ander product te accepteren.

[Indien van toepassing: Uw bedrijf is aangesloten bij [naam van de geschillencommissie]; komt er geen oplossing, dan leg ik het geschil daar voor.] Ik behoud mij uitdrukkelijk al mijn rechten voor.

Met vriendelijke groet, [Voornaam en achternaam]

If the company still does not answer

• De Geschillencommissie: a disputes committee whose ruling (bindend advies) is binding, with no appeal. It can act only if the company is affiliated, directly or through its trade association; check the company’s general terms. You must first have complained in writing, then file within 12 months of that complaint. The fee depends on the committee, usually €25 to €152.50 (for example €52.50 at the Geschillencommissie voor Consumentenzaken, as listed in October 2026), and the company refunds it if you win. An unpaid disputed amount must be deposited with the committee.
• Kifid: for banks, insurers and other financial firms, after their internal procedure; free for consumers. Health insurance complaints go to SKGZ instead.
• ACM ConsuWijzer: you can report a company at consument.acm.nl, but ACM does not mediate or follow up individual cases.
• Readers abroad: contact the European Consumer Centre (ECC) in your own country of residence, which passes the case to ECC Nederland; ECC Nederland itself helps only people living in the Netherlands. The EU online dispute resolution (ODR) platform closed on 20 July 2025.
• Court: the kantonrechter hears claims up to €25,000 and every consumer sale whatever the amount, and you need no lawyer (art. 93 and 79 Rv). A bailiff serves the summons; in 2026, the court fee for a natural person is €93 to €753. Between two EU countries, the European Small Claims Procedure covers claims up to €5,000.

Post your letter and keep evidence

Upload your final PDF or write the letter in MaisonMail, and add the invoice and photos as PDFs in the send flow. The recipient address determines the destination; available services, estimated delivery and the final price appear before payment. A complaint or ingebrekestelling takes effect when it reaches the company (art. 3:37 lid 3 BW), so allow time for printing and delivery, especially near the two-month mark. Send the same text by e-mail or through the company’s complaint form, and ask for written confirmation of receipt. Dutch law does not require an aangetekende brief (registered letter) here, and a standard or tracked letter is not one; if receipt of your ingebrekestelling may be disputed, also send it by Dutch registered post. Keep a copy of the exact letter: tracking shows that an item arrived, not what it contained.