Alternative dispute resolution is the possibility that all consumers have at their disposal to appeal and official entities that help them in the resolution, or guidance of some 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 of sale and / or provision of services have the right to resort to official entities that help them in the resolution of any conflict that has as its object such contracts, without prejudice to resorting to the Judicial Courts. The updated list of Alternative Dispute Resolution entities available under 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. We further inform you that, to resolve disputes that originate from online purchases, you can use a resolution system, called “ODR Platform – Online Dispute Resolution / RLL”, created by the EU.
In any case, you can contact one of the centres listed below.
Entities for Alternative Dispute Resolution
CNIACC – National Center for Information and Arbitration of Consumer Conflicts
CIMAAL – Centre for Information, Mediation and Arbitration of Consumer Conflicts of the Algarve
http://www.arbitragemdeconsumo.org
Center for Arbitration of Consumer Conflicts of the District of Coimbra
http://www.centrodearbitragemdecoimbra.com
Lisbon Consumer Disputes Arbitration Centre
http://www.centroarbitragemlisboa.pt
Center for Consumer Information and Arbitration of Porto
Vale do Ave Consumer Disputes Arbitration Center/Arbitration Tribunal
European Online Dispute Resolution Platform:https://ec.europa.eu/consumers/odr/main/index.cfm?event=main.home.chooseLanguage