A transport complaint goes to the operator that provided the service first. Which body it escalates to afterwards depends on the kind of transport involved.
ContactDetails.co.za is an independent directory. We are not any of the companies listed here and cannot act on your behalf. Everything on this page is a routing aid so you reach the right official channel with the right information in hand.
Who actually handles this
The operator, in every case, first. Escalation then differs: a consumer complaint against a private operator can go to a consumer body, while a complaint about a public transport authority follows that authority’s own process.
What to do, in order
- Complain to the operator in writing, with the booking or ticket reference and the date of travel.
- Ask for a complaint reference number, and use it for every follow-up.
- Keep a short written log: the date, the channel, the person you spoke to and what you were told.
- Give the operator a reasonable and documented chance to resolve it.
- If it stays unresolved, take the full history to the appropriate consumer body.
What to have ready before you make contact
- The ticket or booking reference and the travel date.
- The route, and the vehicle or service identifier where relevant.
- The complaint reference number.
- A short written history of each contact.
- Any photographs or documents relevant to the complaint.
Verified long-distance bus operator routes
Every route in this table was taken from the organisation’s own official contact page and checked on 21 August 2026. Contact details change, so confirm on the official site before relying on one for anything urgent.
| What it is for | Contact |
|---|---|
| Intercape 24 hour call centre and bookings | 021 380 4400 |
| Greyhound contact centre and bookings | 011 611 8000 |
| Citiliner contact centre and bookings | 011 611 8000 |
| Intercape queries and complaints email | [email protected] |
| Greyhound bookings email | [email protected] |
Who owns what when something goes wrong with a delivery or a journey
- The retailer, if you bought online, is who your contract is with. It owes you the goods, in the condition you paid for, at the address you gave. Which courier it chose is its arrangement, not your problem.
- The courier physically carries the parcel and is the party that can trace it. It works from the waybill number and generally caps its liability unless extra cover was bought.
- The operator, for a journey, runs the service and holds the booking, unless you booked through an agent, in which case the agent holds it and is usually the only party that can change it.
- A consumer body such as the Consumer Goods and Services Ombud takes unresolved consumer complaints, free of charge, once the supplier’s own process has been exhausted.
The most common dead end is being sent back and forth between a retailer and a courier. If you bought online, say plainly and in writing that your contract is with the retailer and that delivery is its obligation.
Common mistakes that cost time
- Skipping the operator and going straight to a consumer body, which will ask for the operator’s reference.
- Not keeping a written log, which is what every formal process asks for.
- Losing the ticket or booking reference, without which the journey cannot be identified.
- Letting long gaps open between follow-ups, which weakens the history you are relying on.
If it is not resolved
The Consumer Goods and Services Ombud handles unresolved consumer complaints against participating suppliers, free of charge to the consumer. It also expects you to have gone through the supplier’s own complaints process first. The National Consumer Commission is the statutory consumer authority and handles matters that fall outside an ombud scheme’s remit.
Escalation works on evidence. Keep a short written log of every contact: the date, the channel you used, the name of the person you spoke to and the reference number you were given. Every formal complaints process asks for exactly that history, and having it ready is usually the difference between a fast resolution and starting over.
| What it is for | Contact |
|---|---|
| CGSO consumer complaints call centre | 0860 000 272 |
| CGSO WhatsApp | 081 335 3005 |
| CGSO general email | [email protected] |
| National Consumer Commission contact centre | 012 065 1940 |
| National Consumer Commission enquiries email | [email protected] |
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Frequently asked questions
Which body handles transport complaints?
It depends on the operator and the nature of the complaint. A consumer complaint against a private operator generally goes to a consumer body; complaints about a public authority follow that authority’s own process.
Do I have to complain to the operator first?
Yes, in practice. Consumer bodies expect the supplier’s own process to have been used and will ask for its reference number.
What does it cost?
The Consumer Goods and Services Ombud is free to consumers.
The contact routes on this page were checked against each organisation’s official source on 21 August 2026. Where a detail has changed, the official source is always the authority.