Claims and Diputes

Consumers who know their rights are empowered to defend and to promote their interests: quality and safety of products is for example deducible by reading the labels and the guarantee marks, a fair contract has no ambiguity or unfair terms...

Being an aware consumer means to prevent problems and complaints, to use the products properly, to understand the possible related risks. As regards the relationship with the trader, knowing one’s rights means to present a well explained complaint, by making precise references to law prescriptions, with a good chance to get positive answers. The EU and national legislation state consumer rights and regulate their effective implementation, also through tools to resolve the disputes through out-of-court mechanisms (ADR).

At first, it is always advisable to explain one’s disappointment and requests, in a friendly way, directly to the trader: if no redress is obtained, then it is necessary to make a complaint.

• Consumers’ complaints and the consumer complaint  form

• Consumers’ contentious

• The alternative dispute resolution (ADR)

  • What is it?

  • How does it work?

  • Who manages it?

  • The legal way

  • How to handle customers’ claims and limit negative impact

  • European politics trend about ADR

  • Advantages for consumers

  • The ECC-Net support to have access to the ADR procedures