Looking to sue AIDA Cruise Lines? Small claims court is an option, and you may have others…
Suing big cruise lines like the German company AIDA can be an arduous and complex process. Furthermore, it might seem to be impossible at first; they might say that your contract has a clause that prevents you from bringing a lawsuit against them even if they are clearly in the wrong.
However, it’s still possible for you to pursue justice against AIDA and other cruise lines like them by filing a lawsuit in small claims court.
Before you start trying to sue AIDA Cruise Lines, double-check to make sure that your case will fully qualify for small claims court. Unlike with other types of lawsuits, small claims courts have strict regulations concerning which cases they can take and must refuse.
For most courts, your case needs to be for a monetary, instead of an equitable or nonmonetary, award and it needs to be worth between $2500 and $10,000 in total. The monetary limit will vary from state to state, so be sure to double-check this before going forward. If you aren’t sure about the total monetary limit, just try to nail it down as best as you can.
If your case doesn’t look like it’ll qualify, you still have options. The National Arbitration and Mediation company is an organization that big cruise lines like AIDA use all the time to handle disputes and arbitration. You can turn to them to pursue a resolution against this cruise line.
However, if your case does qualify, you can move on to the next step of the process which involves writing a demand letter. A demand letter doesn’t need to be overly long or complex; all it needs to do is explain exactly what your grievance against AIDA and what they can do to fix things. More importantly, it provides AIDA with an opportunity to finish things before you take things to court. It doesn’t matter whether they actually review the letter are not, so long as you write it properly.
Write the letter as best as you can and mail it to the following address:
AIDA Cruises
Am Strande 3
18055 Rostock, Germany
Then wait a few days to see if they reply. If they don’t, you can move on to the next step.
The next step is filling out your court forms, which you can start by either visiting your local state small claims court website or by visiting the court in person. Either way, you’ll probably need to pay a small fee to begin the filing process, which might be waived if you can prove that you currently have a low income.
You’ll also likely need to fill out the form several times so that every major organization or party in the case has a copy for their records. Take your time when filling out these forms, as any mistakes can send you back one or more steps or, worse, get your case thrown out on your court date!
Now it’s time to file your forms with your local small claims court. This has to be done in person, as very few locations have electronic filing services for you to take advantage of. Be sure that you fill out everything perfectly and file everything perfectly as well. This will prevent you from wasting your time and having to start all over again.
Furthermore, you’ll need to actually serve AIDA to let them know that they’re being sued in small claims court. You can do this at the same time as you file your forms; the small claims court should take care of mailing and everything else for you.
After all that is said and done, all you have to do left is wait for your court date to roll around and show up ready to go. It’ll help if you write out your arguments and get your materials together before the court date itself, both for the organization of your case and your nerves. We have other resources you can use if you want assistance putting together a great case.
Regardless, just do your best and tell the truth. Big companies like AIDA don’t even always show up to small court cases, anyway, so there’s a good chance that you’ll be the only side argued. It’s great for you!
Ready to sue AIDA Cruise lines in small claims court?
If this sounds too hard and expensive, try consumer arbitration instead…
The Ultimate Guide to Consumer Complaints
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