1. Purpose of this policy

We want Kytrix Travel to feel straightforward, safe and human. Even with the best planning, things can go wrong – a delay, a misunderstanding, or a standard we fail to meet. When they do, we want:

• clear ways for you to tell us;
• real people to listen and investigate properly; and
• a fair outcome, explained in plain English, within a reasonable time.

This policy explains how to raise a complaint or concern, and how that links to our Refunds & cancellations and Booking Conditions.

2. What counts as a complaint?

For the purposes of this policy, a complaint is:

That might include, for example:

• issues with punctuality, cleanliness or comfort of vehicles;
• concerns about how you or your group were treated by a driver or staff member;
• booking errors, miscommunications or unclear information;
• worries about safety, safeguarding or behaviour on board;
• problems with how we handled a previous concern or refund.

We also really value positive feedback and suggestions. If something went well, or you've spotted a way we could improve, please let us know too – it all feeds into training and planning.

3. Safety and safeguarding concerns

Concerns that relate to safety, safeguarding or potential criminal behaviour (for example, harm to a child or vulnerable adult, serious driving standards issues, or abuse) will always be treated as priority cases.

In these situations we may need to bypass normal timelines and:

• take immediate steps to protect passengers and staff (for example, removing a driver from duty while we investigate);
• involve external agencies where appropriate (for example, the police, local safeguarding partners or relevant regulators); and
• limit how much detail we can share with you while an investigation is ongoing.

We'll still treat you with respect, but safety has to come first.

4. How to raise a concern or complaint

4.1 On the day (informal, quick fixes)

If something feels off while you're travelling, the fastest way to fix it is often to mention it to the driver or group leader at the time, if it's safe and comfortable for you to do so. They may be able to:

• adjust heating or air-con;
• clarify timings or stops;
• handle minor behaviour issues in the moment;
• agree sensible adjustments for breaks, comfort or mobility.

If you don't feel comfortable raising it on the day, or if it needs a deeper look, you're always welcome to contact us afterwards using the formal routes below.

4.2 After your trip (formal complaints)

For anything that needs investigation or a written response, please contact us via the contact page or by email/post to the details shown there. To help us respond quickly, it's useful if you can include:

• your name and contact details;
• your booking reference (if you have one);
• date and nature of the trip (for example, "Winchester Christmas Market from Newport on 7 Dec 2026");
• what happened, in your own words (including times, places and people involved if you can); and
• what you're hoping we might do (for example, an apology, explanation, assurance it won't happen again, or review of a previous decision).

5. How we handle complaints – stages

5.1 Stage 1 – Acknowledgement and initial review

Once we receive your complaint, we'll normally:

• send an acknowledgement within a reasonable timeframe (for example, within 3–5 working days); and
• let you know who is looking into it and whether we need more information.

For straightforward issues, we may also be able to give a quick response at this stage – for example, clarifying a misunderstanding or confirming a simple remedy.

5.2 Stage 2 – Investigation and response

If the complaint needs more detailed investigation, we will:

• review internal records (for example, booking details, schedules, logs);
• speak to the driver and any staff involved, where appropriate;
• consider relevant policies (safety, safeguarding, refunds, accessibility, etc.); and
• make a decision on what happened and what we think is fair in the circumstances.

We'll then write back to you with:

• a summary of what we understand the concern to be;
• what we've looked at;
• our conclusions; and
• any actions or remedies we're offering (for example, apology, training actions, process changes, refund/credit where appropriate).

We'll aim to complete this stage within a reasonable timescale (for example, within 20 working days of acknowledgement), although complex cases may take longer. If they do, we'll keep you updated.

5.3 Stage 3 – Review / escalation

If you're unhappy with the outcome at Stage 2, you can ask us to review the decision. Another person (where possible, someone not directly involved in the original decision) will:

• revisit the complaint and our response;
• check whether our process was followed fairly; and
• consider whether any further action is appropriate.

Once we've carried out a review, we'll confirm whether the original outcome stands or if we're changing our decision.

For most day-to-day complaints, this will be the final stage of our internal process.

6. External escalation and regulators

As a small operator, there isn't always a specialist ombudsman for every situation. Depending on the nature of your complaint, you may be able to seek advice or escalate to:

• consumer advice services (for example, Citizens Advice) for help understanding your rights;
• your card provider if you are considering a card dispute (although we’d prefer you speak to us first);
• relevant regulators or enforcement bodies for serious safety, safeguarding or licensing concerns.

We can't give legal advice, but we'll cooperate with any lawful investigation or information request from regulators or enforcement agencies.

7. Vulnerable passengers and support

We recognise that some passengers and group leaders may find it harder to raise a complaint – for example, due to age, disability, mental health, language or digital access.

If you need help to make a complaint, you can:

• ask a trusted person (such as a family member, carer or support worker) to contact us on your behalf; or
• let us know what kind of communication works best for you (for example, written rather than phone, or more time to respond).

We may ask for basic checks to confirm we're speaking to someone you're happy to represent you, but we'll keep the process as simple as we reasonably can.

8. How complaints link to refunds and compensation

Not every complaint leads to a refund or compensation. When we look at whether a refund, credit or other remedy is appropriate, we'll take into account:

• what went wrong and how much control we realistically had over it;
• the impact on you and your group (for example, inconvenience vs. a serious loss);
• what we've already offered under our Refunds & cancellations approach; and
• what a fair and sustainable outcome looks like.

Where we've clearly fallen short, we'll aim to be fair and constructive – which might include partial refunds, credits, or other goodwill gestures if appropriate.

9. Data protection and confidentiality

We'll handle complaint information in line with our Privacy Policy. That means:

• only sharing details with staff and partners who genuinely need to know to investigate or resolve the issue;
• keeping records of complaints, outcomes and learning points securely; and
• using anonymised information, where possible, for training and service improvement.

If your complaint relates to another passenger or staff member, we may not be able to share every detail of any action taken in order to protect their privacy.

10. Learning from complaints

Complaints aren't just something to "get through" – they're often where we learn the most. We'll regularly review:

• the number and type of complaints we receive;
• common themes and root causes; and
• what we've changed as a result (training, processes, information on the website, etc.).

Where appropriate, we may share high-level learning (not personal details) in News & Updates so you can see how feedback is shaping Kytrix Travel.

11. Questions about this policy

If you're not sure whether something counts as a complaint, or you want to check how we'd handle a particular scenario (for example, for a school or youth group), you can always contact us for a quick chat before setting anything out formally.

We'd rather hear from you early and keep things constructive than have issues quietly build up.