Numerous so-called “passenger rights portals” advertise on the Internet with express payment of compensation claims that may arise due to delays and cancellations against airlines. Most providers advertise that the money should be paid out within 24 hours. In practice, the offers are not only expensive, they also fail to keep the full-bodied promises in front and behind.

A portal promises that an offer should be sent by email within a maximum of two hours and if this is accepted, the money should be paid out immediately via PayPal or normal bank transfer. In practice, however, there was still no offer even after three days, but the portal sends advertising e-mails several times a day.

The providers EU-Flight, Compensation2Go, Flightcomp, Flug-Ericherung.de, We buy your flight and Flight Refund were examined carefully. Not a single provider has kept the full-bodied promise that the compensation will be paid out within 24 hours. Sometimes after more than a week no offers have been received or suddenly there is no longer any talk of “immediate compensation”, but of an assignment based on success. With Compensation2Go, one circumstance is particularly worrying: the provider decodes exactly how much money is promised and requires an immediate signature on a contract. An assignment agreement is then signed, but then nothing happens quickly. Instead of within 24 hours, nothing at all flowed because the portal is at the diving station. It is pointed out that the contract will only come into being after it has been checked and accepted by Compensation2Go, but it is not customer-friendly that express compensation is promised, but nothing happens quickly after submission, and some providers do not contact you at all or but want to offer a different product. The behavior of a provider who has neither submitted an offer within two hours nor responded to e-mails or calls, but sends advertising e-mails several times a day, is particularly worrying.

The so-called express reimbursements have a hefty price, provided the portals respond to customer inquiries at all. If the passengers are entitled to 250 euros, instant payouts of 150 to 186 euros are not uncommon. Although any cost risk with regard to the collection is assigned to the airline, it is much cheaper with a little patience and initiative. Advice centers such as consumer advice centers, the arbitration board for public transport, the Chamber of Labor or the agency for passenger and passenger rights can help free of charge in many cases. Many legal protection insurances also cover collection with the help of a lawyer, if necessary in court.

The bottom line is that it stays that way Conclusion, that the corona crisis has obviously also reached the “passenger rights portals”, because without exception all express providers tested have not kept their full-bodied promises or in some cases have never contacted us again is indicative. Passengers should therefore rely on other, much cheaper options to get their compensation and / or reimbursement. By the way: One provider boldly claimed that a flight canceled at the gate would have been canceled more than 14 days before departure and cited that this connection could not be found on the airline's website the following week. Quite a bold excuse.