Lawsuits should be avoided if it is possible to reach an amicable and adequate agreement with the merchant to resolve the dispute. In fact, it is smart for consumers to pick merchants they have reason to believe will act honorably, so as to avoid unnecessary trouble with court cases. If there is a consumer problem, the first step is to bring it to the merchant s attention and to try to persuade the merchant to solve the problem informally. If informal discussion fails to solve the problem, a possible next step is to involve an outside person to encourage discussion and perhaps compromise. The Better Business Bureau accepts consumer complaints.
Arbitration involves some of the formality of a court proceeding, but with less delay and trouble.
In some programs, the results of the arbitration are binding so that consumer can t later go to court to reverse the results of the arbitration. Sometimes arbitration arrangements are very fair to consumers, but sometimes they are not, so caution is required of the consumer. Certainly the consumer should have confidence that the arbitration program is fair and neutral before agreeing to be bound by the result. Small Claims Court offers mediation services, which are discussed later. A consumer may file suit in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia to seek redress of various consumer rights.