Online Dispute Resolution

The European Union has created a website to support consumers in submitting their complaints about any dispute in which they are involved. Therefore, if you are dissatisfied with the purchase of a good or service on our website, or with the solution we have presented to resolve the situation, you can access the official website and submit your complaint.

What is alternative dispute resolution?

Alternative dispute resolution is the possibility that all consumers have at their disposal to resort to official entities that help them resolve or provide guidance on any conflict, before filing legal proceedings in court. As a general rule, the procedure is as follows: the customer asks an impartial third party to act as an intermediary between them and the trader who is the target of their complaint. The intermediary can suggest a solution to their complaint, impose a solution on both parties or bring the parties together to find a solution.
You may know the concept of alternative dispute resolution by another name: 'mediation', 'conciliation', 'arbitration' or 'competent committee in the context of consumer disputes'. Alternative dispute resolution is generally less expensive, less formal and faster than the judicial route.