Alternative Dispute Resolution
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 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 in the resolution of any conflict that has such contracts as their object, without prejudice to appeal to the Judicial Courts. The updated list of Alternative Dispute Resolution entities available pursuant to Article 17 of Law No. 144/2015 of 8 September are listed on the Consumer Portal, accessible through the www.consumidor.pt website. For more information you can also consult Law 144/2015.
In any case, you can contact one of the centers named below.
Entities for Alternative Dispute Resolution
Conflict Arbitration Center of RAM (Autonomous Region of Madeira)
https://www.madeira.gov.pt/cacc/Estrutura/O-Centro-de-Arbitragem
CNIACC – National Center for Information and Arbitration of Consumer Conflicts
CIMAAL - Information, Mediation and Arbitration Center for Consumer Disputes in the Algarve
http://www.arbitragemdeconsumo.org
Coimbra District Consumer Dispute Arbitration Center
http://www.centrodearbitragemdecoimbra.com
Lisbon Consumer Dispute Arbitration Center
http://www.centroarbitragemlisboa.pt
Porto Consumer Information and Arbitration Center
Vale do Ave Consumer Dispute Arbitration Center / Arbitration Court
European Online Dispute Resolution Platform:
https://ec.europa.eu/consumers/odr/main/index.cfm?event=main.home.chooseLanguage
