Verified: 20 March 2026 11:20 pm CET
Industry: Ride-Hailing & Mobility Aggregator (Taxis, eScooters, Carsharing)
Jurisdiction: Germany
Primary Regulator: General Consumer Protection Law (Local passenger transport authorities regulate the individual taxi/fleet operators, not the app itself).
Important Safety Warning: Beware of fake customer service numbers on search engines. Only use official channels. Scammers frequently buy ads to promote fraudulent phone numbers. FreeNow staff will never ask for your account password, App PIN, or call you demanding immediate payment via prepaid gift cards to “unlock your suspended account.”
Level 1: Customer Support (Kundenservice)
- How to complain: Submit your issue directly through the “Help” section within the FreeNow app (this is the fastest method as it links directly to your ride data). Alternatively, use their official online request form. If the digital channels fail, you can call their legally mandated corporate headquarters at +49 40 30606890 or email impressum@free-now.com.
- Source Verification: Impressum - FreeNow
- Availability: In-app and web support are monitored during standard business hours, though automated systems handle initial triage 24/7.
- Source Verification: Help Center - FreeNow
- Timeline: FreeNow generally aims to respond to standard billing or ride dispute inquiries within a few business days.
Level 2: Formal Written Complaint & Mahnung
- Who to contact: Formally escalate your financial dispute (e.g., unjustified cancellation fees, extreme route deviations, or account hacking issues) by sending a registered letter with return receipt (Einschreiben mit Rückschein) to their legally registered headquarters. Do not send legal notices to the “FreeNow” brand name or a Berlin office. Address it to the Management Board, Intelligent Apps GmbH, Neumühlen 19, 22763 Hamburg, Germany. Clearly state your claim, account details, and set a legally binding 14-day deadline (Mahnung) for a refund or resolution.
- Source Verification: Impressum - FreeNow
- Timeline: The legally binding deadline of 14 days (set via your Mahnung) provides the company a strict timeframe to resolve the issue before they legally default (in Verzug geraten).
Level 3: Regulatory Authority / ADR
- Authority: Stop! Do not send your complaint to the Universalschlichtungsstelle. Intelligent Apps GmbH explicitly states in their Impressum that they refuse to participate in any voluntary consumer arbitration boards in Germany. Sending your dispute to an ombudsman will result in an automatic rejection and waste your time.
- Source Verification: Impressum (Streitbeilegung) - FreeNow
- Timeline: N/A due to the company’s strict refusal of out-of-court arbitration.
Level 4: Legal Action
- Pre-Litigation: Before initiating formal court proceedings, you can seek case-specific legal assistance from your local Consumer Advice Centre (Verbraucherzentrale) or a contract lawyer to evaluate the disputed charge.
- Source Verification: Verbraucherzentrale
- Court/Arbitration: Because Intelligent Apps GmbH blocks arbitration, your only legally binding escalation path is to initiate the judicial dunning process (gerichtliches Mahnverfahren) online to obtain an enforceable payment title against them, or file a civil lawsuit at the local district court (Amtsgericht).
- Source Verification: Gemeinsames Mahnportal der Länder
Community Action: Is FreeNow refusing to refund you after a driver never showed up but charged you anyway, or ignoring a complaint about a massive “cleaning fee”? Reply below (do not share your passwords, full account numbers, or PINs), and our community will point you to the right legal templates!