Late delivery of a service
Sen leverans av tjänst - Engelska
Was the service you purchased not completed within the promised time? Find out what you can demand from the company.
Translated page: This text has been translated from Swedish. The text and appearance of the page may look different from the original page.
When is a service considered delayed?
If the service is not done within the time promised or that you have agreed on.
If there is no promised time for when the service shall be done, but the service is not done within a reasonable amount of time considering the service’s scope and nature.
How to complain about a late delivery
This information applies for services covered by the Consumer Services Act.
If there is a delay, you can first require the company to complete the service.
In some cases, you may also have the right to cancel the agreement. This requires that the service is not completed at the agreed time and that the delay is of significant importance to you. For example, if the delay has a major impact on your daily life. You need to be able to show or explain why the delay is of significant importance to you.
Sometimes only part of the agreement is cancelled
In some situations, only part of the agreement is cancelled. For example, if you can still benefit from work that has already been carried out. In that case, you may need to pay for the completed part of the work.
When the company does not have to complete the service
There are exceptions where you cannot require the company to complete the service. This applies, for example, if obstacles outside the company’s control make it impossible for the company to carry out the work.
The company must cover any costs you incur because of the delay Examples of such costs can include:
- loss of income if you need to stay at home from work to let the company carry out the service
- compensation paid to other companies that have to postpone their work because the service is delayed (this can occur in larger projects where several companies are involved).
You can claim compensation for the actual costs, not for inconvenience or the time you spend. You need to be able to show evidence, such as receipts and invoices. The costs must be reasonable and directly connected to the delay.
Delay penalty
Delay penalty means that the company must pay a certain amount in compensation if the work is delayed. You are not entitled to a delay penalty by law. For you to be able to claim a delay penalty, you and the company must have agreed on it, for example in your written agreement.
When the service has not been started or completed on time, you have the right to withhold payment as security. This works as a way to put pressure on the company and gives you protection.
How much of the payment you can withhold
The part of the payment you withhold must correspond to the work that remains to be done. In principle, this means that you can withhold an amount that covers the cost of hiring another company to complete the work.
Sometimes it is difficult to know what amount is reasonable to withhold. You do not need to know the exact figure. You may allow a certain margin so you can be sure that you will not need to pay anything extra if the company does not complete the work and you need to hire someone else. In some cases, it may also help to contact other companies in the sector to get a price estimate for completing the work.
You have the right to cancel the service as long as it has not been completed. This can be an option if the delay is not of significant importance, but you still want to end the agreement.
When you cancel the service, you must pay for the work that has already been carried out and for work that must be carried out despite the cancellation. The company may also be entitled to compensation for loss of profit (because it has not been able to book other jobs).
Even if the company has set a cancellation fee in advance, it must not be higher than what is reasonable.
Contact the company in writing, for example by email or text message. This allows you to show what you have communicated and when.
Demand that the work is completed
State the date by which the work should have been completed (if this is not already clear from a written quotation or similar). Explain why it is important that the work is completed as soon as possible. You can also ask for a date by which the work will be completed at the latest.
If you choose to call, you can summarise what you discussed and send it in an email to the company after the call. This gives you documentation showing what you agreed on. You can also record the call. This is allowed as long as you are participating in the call yourself.
If you want to cancel the agreement
Tell the company if you want to cancel the agreement. You can only demand cancellation if the delay is of significant importance to you.
If you want to claim compensation
State which costs you want the company to compensate and why. You must be able to support the costs with evidence.
Always inform the company if you are withholding payment
Tell the company that you are withholding payment, how much, and why. If you have received an invoice, you need to dispute it. This means that you explain that you will not pay and why. Be clear that your reason is that the service has not been completed on time and that this is why you are withholding payment.
If you have already paid
If all or part of the agreement is cancelled, you have the right to demand a refund of what you have paid.
If it does not get resolved
If the company does not complete the work despite your demands, you can state that you instead want to cancel the agreement.
If you cannot reach an agreement, you can dispute the invoice or take the matter further for an assessment.
- If the company does not believe that you have the right to cancel all or part of the agreement, you can turn to the National Board for Consumer Disputes (ARN) or to court for an assessment.
- If the company refuses to pay compensation, you can turn to ARN or to court for an assessment.
- If you cancel the service and you believe that the company is demanding too much money, you can dispute the claim or pay under protest. To have your case assessed, you can contact ARN or the court.
- If you receive an invoice that you believe is wholly or partly incorrect, it is important that you object to it in writing. You can also choose to pay under protest. To have your case assessed, you can contact ARN or the court.
If you want to dispute an invoice or pay under protest
When you dispute an invoice, you inform the company that you object to the invoice and therefore will not pay. Explain why you believe the invoice is incorrect.
Paying under protest means that you pay but at the same time inform the company that you do not agree. This can be a good option if you feel uncertain about disputing the claim. However, you must then pursue the matter yourself in order to get the money back. For example, you can take the case to ARN.
Choose an option based on the country where the company is located. Are you unsure which country the company is registered in? Select "Swedish company".
Do you need help clarifying your rights or want to discuss how to proceed with your case? In that case, you can contact the municipality's consumer guidance, or the guidance provided by our national information service.
Municipality's Consumer Guidance
Many municipalities provide consumer guidance where you can seek free information and support. The assistance offered may vary from one municipality to another.
The Swedish Consumer Agency
If you need guidance, you can contact our national information service. We can provide information on your rights and what options you have to make progress. We provide independent guidance and therefore cannot assess your individual matter, resolve disputes or contact companies for you.
If you are residing in Sweden and the company you have issues with is registered in another EU country, Norway, Iceland or the United Kingdom, you can receive free advice from ECC Sweden.
ECC Sweden is part of a network of consumer offices within the EU. In some cases, ECC Sweden may share the case with a sister office in another country to attempt to reach a solution through mediation.
Contact ECC Sweden
To get assistance with your case, you need to ensure that you have filed a written complaint to the company.
To ECC Sweden, you need to submit a description of the problem and documentation showing what has happened. Documentation is necessary if your case is to be shared with any sister office in another country. Remember to keep your originals and only send copies to ECC Sweden.
Send your case via email to: konsumenteuropa@konsumentverket.se
The email should include:
- Your first and last name and the name of the company you purchased from
- A description of the problem and how you want the company to resolve it
- The date you placed the order and the date you received it
- The price of the item/service and how you paid
- Documentation as evidence of your case
Examples of documentation:
- Agreement/terms of agreement
- Screenshots of advertisements
- Invoice/receipts for purchases
- Complaint or right of withdrawal notice
Once you have submitted your case, you will usually receive a response within approximately 1 month.
ECC Sweden cannot:
- Force a company to act according to the law. The work is based on the company being willing to cooperate with the ECC network to reach a resolution.
- Mediate in a case if we cannot identify the seller or if the seller refuses to cooperate with the ECC network.
- Act as legal representation or assist when the consumer has already initiated legal proceedings.
- Assist in purchases between businesses or purchases between individuals.
If you have any questions
ECC Sweden is part of the Swedish Consumer Agency. Do you need help clarifying your rights or want to discuss if and how you can proceed with your case? Then you can contact our information service.
If you and the company cannot reach an agreement, you can file a complaint to the public authority The National Board for Consumer Disputes (ARN).
ARN will assess your case and make a recommendation on how to resolve the dispute. Most companies follow ARN’s recommendations.
A normal processing time is approximately six months.
What does it cost to file a complaint with ARN?
It costs SEK 150 to file a complaint with ARN. When you submit your complaint, you can request that the company compensates you for the cost if ARN makes a recommendation in your favour.
Requirements for ARN to consider your case
- The company has either rejected your claims or has not responded within a reasonable time.
- The amount you and the company disagree on exceeds the value limit set by ARN. You cannot include the application fee to ARN.
- You file the complaint within one year from the first time you complained to the company.
Submit a complaint on ARN's website
If you need help with your complaint
Sometimes, the municipal consumer advisors can assist you in making a complaint to ARN.
Have you followed all the steps in this process? Do you still have a dispute with the company? Then you can take the dispute to court. Contact the district court (tingsrätten).
It costs money to submit an application to the court.
If you are unsure whether you should take the matter to court or need assistance with your case, you can seek help from a lawyer.
Before you hire legal assistance, you can contact your insurance company. Many home insurance policies include legal protection. It can cover certain costs related to legal proceedings.
How much does it cost?
A dispute about a claim under SEK 29,600 (half a price base amount in 2026), is known as a simplified litigation or small claim. The application fee is then SEK 900.
If the claim exceeds SEK 29,600, or if the dispute does not concern a specific amount, the application fee is SEK 2,800.
If you lose the case, you may be required to pay both your and the company's legal costs. However, in small claims, the costs you may have to pay are limited.
How a lawsuit is handled in the district court on the website of the Swedish Courts
Proofread: 17 April 2025
The content is presented in collaboration with ECC Sweden, which is part of the ECC network and the Swedish Consumer Agency's information service. ECC Sweden is part-financed by the European Union.
The content of this website represents the views of the author only and it is his/her sole responsibility; it cannot be considered to reflect the views of the European Commission and/or the European Innovation Council and Small and Medium-sized Enterprises Executive Agency (EISMEA) or any other body of the European Union. The European Commission and the Agency do not accept any responsibility for use that may be made of the information it contains.
This website is part of an EU quality Network
Your Europe is an EU website that will help you do things in other European countries - without hassle or unnecessary bureaucracy. Information on Your Europe is provided by the relevant departments of the European Commission and complemented by content provided by the authorities in every country it covers.
