Complaints about Coin-Operated Mobile Toilets

If you need to file a complaint about coin-operated mobile toilets, you can follow these steps:

1. Identify the party to be complained against and collect evidence

It is essential to clarify the information of the service provider, such as the name and address of the subway operator, to ensure the accuracy of the complaint target. Meanwhile, collecting evidence of the charges is crucial, including charge receipts, on-site photos or videos, etc., to prove the existence of the charging behavior. For example, you can retain coin-insertion records, take photos of the toilet charging signs, or record conversations with staff as evidence for rights protection.

2. Choose the complaint channel

Select the appropriate department based on the nature of the charges:

1. Market Supervision and Administration Department: If the toilet charges involve violations in market business activities (such as failure to display prices clearly), you can call the “12315” hotline or file a report through the national 12315 platform.
2. Price Control Department: If the charging standards are not approved or exceed the prescribed limits (such as violating the Notice of the State Planning Commission on Prohibiting Toilet Charges in Public Passenger Transport Places), you need to file a complaint with the local price control department. For example, if the toilets in public places are funded by the government, they should, in principle, be open to the public free of charge. The charges for toilets built by enterprises must comply with the approval standards.
3. Consumers' Association: As a consumer, you can call the “12315” hotline or log in to the official website of the consumers' association to file a complaint and seek negotiation and mediation. If your property rights are infringed (such as compulsory charges), you can request a refund and a written explanation.

3. Key points of the complaint content

1. Describe the charging scenario in detail: You need to state the location of the toilet (such as the Fuba Line of the subway), the charging amount, the time, and attach evidence. For example, a certain subway line does not have free toilets and only provides coin-operated mobile toilets, charging 5 jiao each time.
2. Cite regulations or the principle of fairness: You can emphasize the unreasonableness of “different services at the same ticket price” or cite the regulation in the Notice of the State Planning Commission that “toilets in public passenger transport places should be open to the public free of charge”. If the toilet is built by an enterprise, you need to confirm whether it has been approved by the price control department to avoid wrong complaints.

Case reference: Hao Jinsong once filed a lawsuit against the subway Fuba Line for the coin-operated toilet charges, demanding a refund and a written apology. However, the court rejected the claim on the grounds that “the mobile toilets set up with enterprise self-raised funds do not fall within the scope of government free services”. This case shows that before filing a complaint, you need to clarify the nature of the toilet (funded by the government or built by an enterprise) and the applicability of regulations to avoid failure in rights protection due to insufficient evidence or unreasonable claims.