Dear customer,

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

Thus, 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 dispute known.

What is alternative dispute resolution?

Alternative dispute resolution is the possibility that all consumers have of resorting to official entities that help them to resolve, or orientate them in the resolution of a conflict, before they open litigation in the Courts.
As a general rule, the procedure is as follows: the customer asks an impartial third party to intervene as an intermediary between him and the merchant who is the subject of his 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 ‘competent commission in the field of consumer disputes’.
Alternative dispute resolution is generally less expensive, less formal, and faster than going to court.

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

CNIACC – National Center for Information and Arbitration of Consumer Conflicts
http://www.cniacc.pt/pt/

CACACCL – Lisbon Consumer Conflict Arbitration Center
http://www.centroarbitragemlisboa.pt/

CACCVA – Center for Arbitration of Consumer Conflicts of Vale do Ave / Court of Arbitration
http://www.triave.pt/

CICAP – Consumer Information and Arbitration Center of Porto (Consumer Arbitration Court)
http://www.cicap.pt/

CIMAAL – Center for Information, Mediation and Arbitration of Consumer Conflicts of the Algarve
http://www.ciab.pt/pt/

CIAB – Consumer Information, Mediation and Arbitration Centre (Consumer Arbitration Court)
http://www.ciab.pt/pt/

CIMPAS – Center for Information, Mediation and Ombudsman for Insurance
https://www.cimpas.pt/

As per Law 144/2015 for dispute resolution consult:
CNIACC – Phone: 21 384 7484
E-mail: cniacc@fd.unl.pt Website: www.arbitragemdeconsumo.org