Dear customer,

The European Union has created a website to help consumers submit their complaints about any dispute in which they are involved. Here we provide you with all the information you need to exercise your right to complain to an official, third-party, impartial body (“dispute resolution entity”) that will help you resolve the dispute in question.

So, if you are dissatisfied with the purchase of a good or service, or with the solution we have provided to resolve the situation, you can go to this official website https://webgate.ec.europa.eu/odr/main/?event=main.home.show and make your complaint.

What is alternative dispute resolution?

Alternative dispute resolution is the possibility that all consumers have at their disposal to turn to official entities to help them resolve or guide them through a conflict, before opening litigation in the courts. Generally, 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 subject of their complaint. The intermediary can suggest a solution to your 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 ‘commission competent in the field of consumer disputes’. Alternative dispute resolution is generally less expensive, less formal and quicker than the judicial route.

In case of a consumer dispute, the consumer can turn to the following alternative dispute resolution entities:

CNIACC – Centro Nacional de Informação e Arbitragem de Conflitos de Consumo
http://www.cniacc.pt/pt/

CACCL – Centro de Arbitragem de Conflitos de Consumo de Lisboa
http://www.centroarbitragemlisboa.pt/

CACCVA – Centro de Arbitragem de Conflitos de Consumo do Vale do Ave/Tribunal Arbitral
http://www.triave.pt/

CICAP – Centro de de Informação de Consumo e Arbitragem do Porto (Tribunal Arbitral de Consumo)
http://www.cicap.pt/

CIMAAL – Centro de de Informação, Mediação e Arbitragem de Conflitos de Consumo de Algarve
http://www.ciab.pt/pt/

CIAB – Centro de Informação, Mediação e Arbitragem de Consumo (Tribunal Arbitral de Consumo)
http://www.ciab.pt/pt/

CIMPAS – Centro de Informação, Mediação e Provedoria de Seguros
https://www.cimpas.pt/

In accordance with Law no. 144/2015, for dispute resolution please consult:
CNIACC – Phone: 21 384 7484 (Call national landline)
E-mail: cniacc@fd.unl.pt Website: www.arbitragemdeconsumo.org