Alternative dispute resolution is one of the possibilities that all consumers have at their disposal to resort to official entities to help them resolve or direct any conflict. The Online Dispute Resolution website is an official website run by the European Commission, dedicated to helping consumers and traders resolve their disputes out of court: https://webgate.ec.europa.eu/odr/main/index.cfm ?event=main.home.chooseLanguage
Customers who are defined as consumers by Law 144/2015 and who have entered into contracts for the purchase and sale and/or provision of services, have the right to resort to official entities that help them resolve any conflict that has such contracts as their object , without prejudice to appealing to the Courts. The updated list of Alternative Dispute Resolution entities available under the terms of article 17 of Law no. 144/2015, of 8 September, are listed on the Consumer Portal, accessible through the website www.consumidor.pt. For more information, you can also consult Law 144/2015 of 8 September, with the changes introduced in the version of DL n.º 102/2017, of 23/08, Law n.º 14/2019, of 12/02 and Law No. 75-B/2020, of 12/31. We further inform that, in order to settle disputes arising from online purchases, you can use a resolution system, called the “ODR Platform - Online Dispute Resolution/RLL”, created by the EU.
In any case, you can contact one of the centers named below.
Entities for Alternative Dispute Resolution:
CNIACC – National Center for Information and Arbitration of Consumer Disputes
http://www.arbitragemdeconsumo.org
CIMAAL - Algarve Consumer Conflict Information, Mediation and Arbitration Center
https://www.consumidoronline.pt/pt/
Coimbra District Consumer Conflict Arbitration Center
http://www.centrodearbitragemdecoimbra.com
Lisbon Consumer Conflict Arbitration Center
http://www.centroarbitragemlisboa.pt
Porto Arbitration and Consumption Information Center
http://www.cicap.pt/
Vale do Ave Consumer Conflict Arbitration Center / Arbitration Court
http://www.triave.pt/
European Online Dispute Settlement Platform:
https://ec.europa.eu/consumers/odr/main/index.cfm?event=main.home.chooseLanguage