How can the European Consumer Centre help me?
Are you having trouble with a purchase, service, or booking from another European country? Whether it’s a cancelled flight, a faulty product, or a tricky refund, the European Consumer Centre (ECC) provides free, expert support to help you resolve your problem quickly and fairly. Read on to learn what we can do for you.
Need help?
Get advice from our legal experts or start mediation for your cross-border issue.
What can we help with?
The European Consumer Centre (ECC) offers free support and advice if you have a problem with a purchase or service from another EU country, Norway, Iceland, or the United Kingdom. We can help you:
- Understand your consumer rights under EU law.
- Provide sample letters you can use to communicate your rights to the business.
- Act as a mediator if your complaint is not resolved, working to find a fair solution between you and the trader.
Whether it’s a delayed flight, a faulty product, or a refund dispute, we’re here to guide you every step of the way.
What can we not help with?
While we want to support you, there are certain cases we cannot assist with. This includes:
- Disputes between private individuals or between businesses.
- Problems with businesses located in the Netherlands (if it’s not a cross-border purchase).
- Issues involving businesses outside the EU, Norway, Iceland, or the UK (such as Switzerland, Turkey, or China).
- Cases that are already being handled by a court.
- Situations involving fraud or scams.
- Complaints related to financial services or investments.
If your issue falls into one of these categories, we can often direct you to the right organisation or authority for help.
Who can we help?
Our services are available to:
- Residents of the Netherlands (including residents of the Dutch Caribbean).
- Private consumers (not businesses).
- Cases involving sellers from other EU countries, Norway, Iceland, or the UK.
How can we help?
Here’s how we support you in resolving your cross-border consumer issues:
- Advice and information
We explain your rights and what steps you can take.
- Communication with traders
We contact the trader on your behalf to try and resolve the issue without the need for further legal action.
- Alternative dispute resolution
If needed, we guide you through official platforms designed to settle disputes fairly.
- Helpful resources
We provide template letters, guides, and tips to empower you to handle problems confidently.
- Multilingual support
We offer assistance in Dutch and English to make communication easy for you.
How we work
How we work
If you live in the Netherlands and have a problem with a business in another EU country, you can ask our legal experts for help by submitting our online form.
Confirmation email
Once we receive your complaint or question, we’ll send you a confirmation email. This email will explain how the ECC works and include a personal case number. Please save it carefully — you'll need this when you reach out to us with any questions about your case.
How your complaint is assessed
After you submit your complaint, one of our legal specialists will carefully review it. As we receive many requests, it may take at least 21 working days to inform you about the next steps. At this stage, one of three things may happen:
- We accept your complaint and begin processing it;
- We ask you for additional information to better understand your case;
- We are unable to process your complaint, but we will suggest alternative options where possible.
The mediation process
If we accept your complaint, we forward it to the ECC office in the country where the business is located. That office will review your case based on their national laws and, if appropriate, start a mediation procedure.
During mediation, the ECC acts as a neutral intermediary between you and the business to help find a fair solution. Please note that the business must cooperate for the mediation to succeed. And the best part? Our mediation service is completely free for you.
#working-method-ecc
Complaints are handled in the order we receive them. It may take at least 21 working days after receiving your complaint to inform you about the next steps. The total time to resolve your case through mediation can vary. It depends on factors like how quickly the business cooperates and the complexity of the issue. Please note that in some cases, it can take months before a solution is provided.
Updates on your complaint
When we receive any updates from the business, we’ll inform you right away. The legal specialist managing your case will contact you by phone or email. If the business contacts you directly during the mediation process, please let us know. This helps us avoid duplicating efforts and keeps the process efficient.
#processing-of-complaint
The ECC operates on a not-for-profit basis, which means our goal is to help consumers — not to make money. As a result, all the legal advice and mediation services we offer are completely free of charge for you.
You won’t have to pay any fees or hidden costs to get support from us, whether you’re asking a question, submitting a complaint, or going through the mediation process.
Our service is funded by the European Union and the Dutch government to ensure you receive impartial, independent help without having to worry about costs.
If your case requires other types of legal action beyond our mediation, we can guide you on where to find further assistance.
#costs-of-mediation-by-ecc
The ECC has a strong track record of successfully mediating consumer disputes. However, sometimes the business may be unwilling to cooperate or may not agree with your complaint. In such cases, we have no choice but to end the mediation process. It’s important to know that the ECC does not have legal authority to enforce decisions or compel businesses to comply.
If mediation is unsuccessful, you often still have the option to take your case to court or pursue other legal remedies. We will provide you with information about your legal options and guide you on possible next steps. Our goal is to support you throughout the process, whether through mediation or by helping you understand how to proceed if mediation doesn’t work out.
#mediation-ecc-unsuccesful
We take your privacy seriously. The ECC complies fully with the European General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) — known as the AVG in the Netherlands — to ensure your personal data is handled safely and responsibly.
We only use your information for the purpose of answering your questions or resolving your complaint. Your data will never be shared with unauthorised parties or used for unrelated reasons.
For more details on how we protect your privacy and handle your data, please read our full privacy statement.
#private-data
About the ECC Network
About the ECC Network
The ECC Network (ECC-Net) is a European network made up of offices in all 27 EU countries, plus Norway and Iceland. One of these offices is the European Consumer Centre (ECC) Netherlands.
How can the ECC Network help you?
ECC-Net assists consumers who face problems with purchases or services from other countries in the network. For example, if you buy something online from another EU country and it’s faulty, or if your flight booked abroad is cancelled, ECC-Net can help you resolve these issues — free of charge.
How does the network work?
All ECC offices collaborate closely with each other. Together, they communicate with traders, offer legal advice, and mediate disputes, ensuring you get expert support no matter where you are.
Who can contact the ECC?
If you live in the EU, Norway, or Iceland, you can reach out to your local ECC for help with cross-border consumer problems.
Working with the UK International Consumer Centre
We also work closely with the UK International Consumer Centre (UK ICC), allowing us to support consumers who make purchases in the United Kingdom. Thanks to this strong network, we provide efficient and expert assistance throughout the European Union, Norway, Iceland and the United Kingdom.
#about-the-eccnet
The ECC-Net was established by the European Commission and the EU Member States to support consumers across Europe. The European Consumer Centre (ECC) Netherlands is financed by both the Dutch Ministry of Justice and Security and the European Commission. Our office is part of het Juridisch Loket (the Legal Help Desk) and is based in Utrecht.
#funding
The mission of the ECC-Net is to empower and protect consumers when buying goods or services from other European countries. We strive to ensure that your consumer rights are respected and that cross-border disputes are resolved fairly and efficiently, helping you shop and travel across Europe with confidence.
Consumer confidence
ECC-Net enhances consumer confidence by helping consumers in the EU in cross-border disputes. More than 300 specialised legal specialists offer consumers free legal assistance. The network blurs borders, removes language barriers and offers the same protection in 29 countries as if a consumer has a conflict with an entrepreneur in his/her home country. ECC-Net operates on a not-for-profit basis.
Consumer Policy
ECC-Net defends the interests of consumers by identifying problems at an early stage and proactively informing consumer authorities and European stakeholders. The purpose: to improve European and national regulations and policy-making.
#mission-eccnet
In 2005, the European Commission and EU Member States created the European Consumer Centres Network (ECC-Net) to make it easier for consumers to exercise their rights across the EU, Norway, Iceland, and the United Kingdom. The goal was to boost consumer confidence in cross-border shopping by breaking down language barriers and providing reliable support.
Since then, the ECC-Net has grown into a unique, independent network with over 300 legal specialists. Consumers in 29 countries can receive free legal assistance in their own language when they face problems with traders abroad.
Financial support
From the beginning, the European Commission and national authorities have joined forces to fund and support ECC-Net. The European Consumer Centre Netherlands, for example, receives financial support from the Dutch Ministry of Justice and Security as well as the European Commission.
A not-for-profit network
We’re proud to be part of this EU-wide network that transcends borders and ensures consumers across 30 countries get the same protection as if their dispute were with a local business — all on a not-for-profit basis.
#history-eccnet
The European Consumer Centres Network (ECC-Net) has offices in all 27 European Union Member States, plus Norway and Iceland — a total of 29 countries. This means consumers across these countries can get free help with cross-border consumer issues.
Countries
The ECC Network consists of 31 offices located in the following countries: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, and the Netherlands.
Collaboration with the UK
We also collaborate with the UK International Consumer Centre (UK ICC). As a result, we can assist you if you make a purchase in the United Kingdom. Thanks to this strong network, we offer quick and expert assistance throughout the EU and in Norway, Iceland, and the United Kingdom.UK International Consumer Centre (UK ICC). Daardoor kunnen wij u helpen als u iets koopt in het Verenigd Koninkrijk. Dankzij dit sterke netwerk bieden wij snelle en deskundige hulp in heel de EU en in Noorwegen, IJsland en het Verenigd Koninkrijk.
Contact your local ECC
Whether you live in France, Germany, Spain, or any other EU country — or in Norway or Iceland — you can contact your local ECC office for support with problems involving traders in other countries within the network.
#ecc-offices