Empowering consumers

A consumer problem? What now? Try out the game designed by the European Consumer Centres!

A problem with a rental car, a delivery of damaged shoes, a delayed flight, telephone fraud... you name it! In the past 15 year, ECC-Net received over 1.498.000 complaints. Consumer problems, they really do exist.

But what can consumers do to resolve their dispute as efficiently as possible?

For its 15th anniversary, the network of European Consumer Centres focuses on the topic ‘Redress & Enforcement` during the month of October. The goal is to empower the European consumer with knowledge, so they can enforce their consumer rights and take full advantage of the opportunities the Single Market offers. Because that is the mission of the ECC-Net. 

ECC-Net hopes that consumers and stakeholders will support their campaign and share the  information on ‘A consumer problem. What now?` with as many people as possible. Because consumer rights don`t stop at the border!

A problem? A solution!

This PDF guides consumers to the appropriate solution via the arrows. Good luck!

Enforcing your rights in six steps

For consumers who prefer to read the information on a website, ECC-Net has got them covered:

1. First, you should check your legal rights to determine if you have a valid complaint. You can do this by consulting our website. If you still have doubts after reading our information, you can contact us for advice on cross-border disputes (if the trader is based in another EU Member State) or you can contact a national consumer organisation for advice on national disputes.
2. In a second step, you should try to find a solution with the opposing party by reminding them of your rights. Did you know ECC's offer template letters for a variety of issues?
3. If your issue is still not resolved, and you would like further assistance, then you can contact the ECC in your country, or a national consumer organisation, or possibly your local Consumer Mediation Service.
4. If you paid by credit card you can contest the transaction and ask for a reimbursement via your card issuer. If you successfully contest the transaction, your money will be returned, and your problem solved.
5. Specialized dispute committees and ombudspersons can help you find a swift and cheap solution for your dispute, without the need to go to court. Many sectors have their own service, including the banking sector, the telecommunications sector, the postal sector, and more. You can find all of them on the ODR-platform.
6. Sometimes, there`s only one option left: going to court. To make consumer litigation more accessible, the EU has created two simplified European court procedures: European Small Claims Procedure and European Order for Payment Procedure.

It is important to know that mediation can only be successful if the trader is trustworthy. If you have a hunch that something isn`t quite right, you can do the Webshop Check to help you determine if a trader can be trusted or not. If you have been the victim of fraud, then the police will be your only recourse. 

Videos: how to enforce your rights visualized

Our Danish colleagues have made a short video summarizing this information for you, and we certainly don`t want to deprive you of our social media teaser video.