Choosing Register in a Written Complaint
You must write a short Swedish message (about 80–120 words) to a gym, Friskis i Lund, because you were charged twice for the same month (450 kr each time) and the staff did not answer your two emails. You want a refund of 450 kr and a confirmation. You are writing to the gym's customer service, not to a friend. The task rewards a formal-but-courteous register, a clear statement of facts (dates, amounts), a specific request, and a polite closing. You know the first charge was on 3 March and the duplicate on 5 March.
1. Write the opening and the factual statement of the problem, then explain two register choices that mark this as formal rather than casual Swedish.
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Model: Hej, jag skriver till er angående en dubbel debitering på mitt medlemskap. Den 3 mars drogs 450 kronor, och den 5 mars drogs ytterligare 450 kronor för samma månad. Jag har skickat två mejl till er utan att få svar. Reasoning: formal markers include addressing the recipient as er (not du), the verb skriver till er angående instead of casual jag vill bara säga, and precise factual framing with dates and amounts (den 3 mars ... den 5 mars). The passive drogs keeps the tone neutral rather than accusing a person. Naming the unanswered emails with a number (två mejl) states the history factually without emotional language such as ingen svarar någonsin, which would read as a complaint rather than a request.
2. Write the request and closing, and explain why you state the amount and ask for confirmation explicitly.
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Model: Jag ber er därför att återbetala 450 kronor till mitt konto och att bekräfta återbetalningen via mejl. Jag ser fram emot ett snart svar. Med vänliga hälsningar, [namn] Reasoning: Jag ber er därför att ... links the request to the facts just given, which is courteous and logical. Stating 450 kronor (the duplicate amount, not 900) shows you want only what is owed - precision builds credibility. Asking for bekräfta återbetalningen via mejl closes the loop so the issue cannot be left unresolved. The sign-off Med vänliga hälsningar is the standard formal Swedish closing; Kram or Hej då would break register. The tested judgement is matching tone to audience while keeping the demand specific and reasonable.