Competition Conditions and Complaints

The public consumer complaints system consists of The Danish Mediation Team for Consumer Complaints and the Consumer Complaints Board.

The Danish Mediation Team for Consumer Complaints is a mediation entity. The Consumer Complaints Board is a judicial board. The Danish Mediation Team for Consumer Complaints is part of the Danish Appeals Boards Authority (Nævnenes Hus). The Consumer Complaints Board is an independent review body. Danish Appeals Boards Authority is the secretariat for the board.

Consumers who have purchased a product or a service from a trader can make a complaint to the public consumer complaints system.

When can consumers make a complaint to the public consumer complaints system?

Consumers can make a complaint to the public consumer complaints system if the product or service which they have purchased is defective or delayed. Before filing a complaint (to the public consumer complaints system), the consumer must have complained directly to the trader who sold the product or service. Generally, the minimum value of the product or service must be DKK 1.110. Clothes or shoes must have a minimum cost of DKK 720. The product or service concerned must never have cost more than DKK 100 000. The consumer must first make a complaint to The Danish Mediation Team for Consumer Complaints before making a complaint to the Consumer Complaints Board.

The Danish Mediation Team for Consumer Complaints is a mediation entity which helps consumers and traders find common solutions and provides guidance on consumer law.

The Danish Mediation Team for Consumer Complaints does not take judicial decisions. The Danish Mediation Team for Consumer Complaints must finish processing the complaint no later than 90 days after the parties have had an opportunity to make known their views. If the parties are unable to find a common solution at The Danish Mediation Team for Consumer Complaints, the consumer may opt to make a complaint to the Consumer Complaints Board. The Danish Mediation Team for Consumer Complaints is part of the Danish Appeals Boards Authority

The Consumer Complaints Board is a judicial board which takes judicial decisions. The Consumer Complaints Board takes a decision in a case only if a consumer and a trader have been unable to find a common solution at The Danish Mediation Team for Consumer Complaints.

The consumer must make a complaint to the Consumer Complaints Board no later than four weeks after The Danish Mediation Team for Consumer Complaints closed the case. If the consumer does not make the complaint within the time limit, the Consumer Complaints Board is unable to process the consumer's complaint.

Legal costs

If a case reach settlement during the proceedings at the Consumer Complaints Board, the seller must pay legal costs of DKK 1,000 to the Danish Appeals Boards Authority. If the seller loses the case, the seller must pay legal costs of DKK 6,000 to the Danish Appeals Boards Authority.

Can the consumer use the decision for anything?

The decisions of the Consumer Complaints Board are conditionally binding. This means that if the consumer is successfully before the Consumer Complaints Board, he can as a rule, obtain the assistance of the bailiff's court to enforce the decision if the trader does not comply voluntarily. Decisions of the Consumer Complaints Board are only binding if the trader states that he intends to comply with the decision, but does not do so, or if the trader fails to respond to the Consumer Complaints Board as to whether he intends to comply with the decision. If the decision is not binding, the consumer must bring the case before the general courts to have his claim established.

Complaint against your business

If a consumer has made a complaint against your business, you can follow the case process on The Complaints Portal. All communication and documents regarding a case takes place through The Complaints Portal.

Legislation:

Law on consumer complaints Regulation on consumer complaints