The European Union has created a website to support consumers in submitting their complaints about any dispute in which they are involved. In this context, Existencia Positiva – Unipessoal Lda, provides all the information so that you can exercise your right to complain to an official, third-party entity that is impartial to the process. Therefore, if you are dissatisfied with the purchase of a good or service on our website, or with the solution we presented to resolve the situation, you can access this official website and express your dispute.

What is alternative dispute resolution?

Alternative dispute resolution is the possibility that all consumers have at their disposal of appealing to official entities that help them in resolving or guiding a conflict, before opening litigation in the Courts.

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 may 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 context of consumer disputes’.

Alternative dispute resolution is, as a rule, less expensive, less formal and faster than the judicial route.

Suggestions from alternative dispute resolution entities:

CNIACC – National Center for Information and Arbitration of Consumer Conflicts

https://www.cniacc.pt/pt/
CISAP – Consumer Arbitration Court
Rua Damião de Góis, 31, Loja 6 – 4050-225 PORTO
Telephone: 22 550 83 49
Email: cicap@cicap.pt