1. Basic facts
- Your full name and contact email
- Location in Spain or coastal area
- Business, landlord, agent, hotel or rental company name
- Booking, contract, invoice or reference number
- Amount paid, withheld or disputed
Evidence checklist
Prepare stronger evidence before starting your CostaSure check.
The clearer your documents, dates, messages and payment records are, the stronger your CostaSure issue summary can be. Use this checklist before submitting rental, car hire, hotel, property or other coastal consumer problems in Spain.
Last updated: May 2026
2. Timeline
- Date of booking, payment or agreement
- Date the problem started
- Date you complained or asked for a refund
- Deadlines promised by the other side
- Any recent response or refusal
3. Payment proof
- Receipts and invoices
- Bank transfer confirmation
- Card statement or payment screenshot
- Deposit or holding fee proof
- Unexpected card charge evidence
Evidence by issue type
Rental deposits
- Rental agreement or booking confirmation
- Check-in and checkout photos
- Inventory notes
- Damage claim or refund refusal
- Messages with landlord, agent or platform
Car hire disputes
- Rental agreement and booking reference
- Pickup and return photos or videos
- Fuel policy and insurance documents
- Deposit block or card charge proof
- Final invoice or damage claim
Hotel complaints
- Booking confirmation and room type
- Cancellation or refund terms
- Photos of room or facilities problem
- Messages with hotel or booking platform
- Refund refusal or changed accommodation proof
Property reservation fees
For property reservation fee or holding deposit problems, keep the payment proof, property details, reservation form, agency messages, refund terms and any written promises made before payment.
- Reservation agreement or holding deposit document
- Estate agent, seller, landlord or company details
- Payment receipt or bank transfer confirmation
- Property advert, description or viewing messages
- Refund request and response
Messages and screenshots
Screenshots are useful when they show context. Include the sender, date, time, full message thread and any promised refund, deadline, explanation or refusal.
- WhatsApp messages
- Email threads
- Booking platform messages
- SMS or app notifications
- Photos of written notices or documents
What outcome do you want?
Before starting, be clear about what you are asking for. CostaSure can structure the issue more effectively when the desired outcome is specific.
- Full refund
- Partial refund
- Deposit release
- Written explanation
- Correction of an invoice or charge
- Complaint escalation preparation
For a wider overview of rental, car-hire, hotel, property and other consumer issues, read the CostaSure Spain Consumer Complaint Guide.
Ready to submit your issue?
Use the checklist above, then start with a free summary or choose a paid package for more detail.
Useful CostaSure tools and guides
Use these free pages before escalating. They help organise evidence, choose the right complaint route and prepare a calm first message.
Evidence Strength Checker
Check whether your complaint file is weak, medium or strong before escalating.
Complaint Message Generator
Create a calm first written complaint message for a Spain consumer issue.
Spain Complaint Hub
Find the right route for rental, car-hire, hotel, booking, property and tourist complaints.
Hoja de Reclamaciones in English
Understand Spain’s official complaint form and useful Spanish phrases.
If the issue happened during a holiday or short stay, use the Spain Tourist Complaint Evidence Checklist to check what to keep before you leave Spain or escalate the complaint.
How to build a stronger complaint evidence file
A complaint is easier to understand when the evidence is organised by category: agreement, payment, timeline, messages, photographs, response from the other side and the outcome you want.
CostaSure helps users turn scattered screenshots, receipts, booking records and messages into a clearer first-stage structure before escalation.
Core evidence categories
- Agreement: contract, booking confirmation, rental agreement, reservation form, service terms or platform conditions.
- Payment: card charge, bank transfer, receipt, invoice, deposit proof, refund promise or disputed deduction.
- Timeline: dates of booking, payment, check-in, checkout, complaint, response and refusal.
- Messages: emails, WhatsApp messages, SMS, app messages, platform conversations and written explanations.
- Photographs: property condition, vehicle condition, hotel room issues, missing items, damage, cleanliness or visible defects.
- Outcome: refund, correction, explanation, repair, replacement, cancellation, written apology or formal response.
Common evidence mistakes
- Keeping only cropped screenshots without dates, sender names or full context.
- Deleting WhatsApp, email or booking-platform messages too early.
- Relying only on phone calls or verbal promises.
- Taking photos after leaving the property, hotel or car-hire return area.
- Mixing several issues together without a simple timeline.
- Sending a complaint before identifying the exact payment, company and desired outcome.
Before you escalate
Prepare a short summary with the most important dates, the provider involved, what went wrong, what evidence you have and what result you want. This helps avoid sending a long, emotional message that is difficult for the other side to answer.
For wider guidance, read the CostaSure Spain Consumer Complaint Guide. If the problem happened during a holiday or short stay, use the Spain Tourist Complaint Evidence Checklist.
Evidence checklist FAQs
What evidence should I keep before making a complaint in Spain?
Keep contracts, booking confirmations, payment proof, receipts, screenshots, photographs, full message threads, dates, names, complaint references and any written refusal or explanation.
Are screenshots enough for a consumer complaint?
Screenshots are useful if they show context, dates, sender details and the full message. They are stronger when supported by contracts, receipts, photographs and a clear timeline.
Why does CostaSure ask for a timeline?
A timeline helps separate what happened, when it happened, who was involved, what was promised, what was refused and what outcome you want.