Demanding Money Back: Sample Letter, Deadline, Default

Whether it's a double-paid invoice, a withdrawal or a cancelled flight: people owed money often wait for weeks. A clear letter with amount, reason and deadline gets things moving — and puts the debtor in default.

Typical cases for a refund demand

Four typical cases: cancelled flight, online purchase return, overpaid invoice and cancelled subscription — Cancelled flights, returns, double payments and prepaid subscriptions are the most common reasons for a refund letter.

Case	Statutory refund deadline
Withdrawal from an online purchase	14 days after the withdrawal is received (§ 357(1) BGB); the trader may withhold until the goods are back or you prove you sent them
Cancelled flight (EU Regulation 261/2004)	Ticket price within 7 days if you choose a refund instead of re-routing
Rental deposit	No fixed deadline; usually a few months for the landlord to check — see the deposit refund template
Double payment, overpayment	No fixed deadline; set a reasonable one, e.g. 14 days

What belongs in the letter

Customer, order or case number in the subject
The reason with a date (withdrawal dated …, payment dated …)
The exact amount in euros
Your bank details (IBAN, account holder)
A deadline with a specific date
Copies of the evidence as enclosures

The ready-made refund request template includes every element. There is also a sample for reclaiming an agent's commission.

Set a deadline and trigger default

Refund letter, money flowing from the bank back into a wallet, calendar with payment deadline — With a reminder and a clear deadline, the payer goes into default — from then on default interest may be charged.

If the other side does not pay after a reminder, it is in default (§ 286 BGB). From then you can claim default interest — towards consumers five percentage points above the base rate (§ 288 BGB) — and costs of further steps. A sentence such as "Please transfer the amount to the account below by 31 October" is enough.

If nothing happens

A second letter by registered mail with a short further deadline.
Use your payment provider: with credit card or PayPal a chargeback is often possible.
Arbitration — e.g. the söp arbitration body for flights and rail.
Court payment order procedure (Mahnverfahren), which can be applied for online.

Watch the limitation period: the standard period is three years, starting at the end of the year in which the claim arose (§§ 195, 199 BGB).

Write and send the letter

Fill in the template in the letter editor and have the letter printed and posted on the same working day — as a standard or registered letter. This overview is not legal advice.