Law No. 144/2015, dated September 8th, establishes the legal framework for alternative dispute resolution for consumer disputes in Portugal. This law stipulates that consumers have the right to resort to official and impartial entities to resolve disputes related to purchases of products or services before initiating a judicial process.

The law determines that suppliers of goods and service providers must inform consumers about the existence of these alternative dispute resolution entities and provide the necessary information for consumers to exercise their right to file a complaint.

Through alternative dispute resolution, consumers can seek mediators, arbitrators, or other specialized professionals to help resolve disputes in a quicker and less formal manner than through a judicial process. These entities must be independent, impartial, and transparent, thus ensuring a fair solution for the parties involved.

The objective of this law is to promote the extrajudicial resolution of consumer conflicts, providing consumers with a more accessible, efficient, and prompt alternative to traditional courts.

Therefore, in the event of a dispute, the consumer client can resort to an Alternative Dispute Resolution Entity for consumer disputes.

• CNIACC – Centro Nacional de Informação e Arbitragem de Conflitos de Consumo – Here
• Centro de Arbitragem de Conflitos de Consumo do Distrito de Coimbra – Here
• Centro de Arbitragem de Conflitos de Consumo de Lisboa – Here
• Centro de Arbitragem de Conflitos de Consumo da Região Autónoma da Madeira – Here
• Centro de Informação e Arbitragem do Porto – Here
• Centro de Informação e Arbitragem do Vale do Ave – Here
• Centro de Informação e Arbitragem do Vale do Cávado – Here
• Centro de Informação, Mediação e Arbitragem do Algarve – Here
• Resolução de Litígios em Linha – Here
• For updates and further information, please refer to the Consumer Portal. – Here

(Under Article 18 of Law No. 144/2015, dated September 8th)