Quite apart from the cost of litigation and time delays, the psychological pressure stemming from the formal nature of court proceedings are obstacles which a consumer has to face. To remedy the specific problems of consumer disputes arising from e-commerce, organisations in other jurisdictions have looked at various measures. For quite some time now, the European Commission has been supporting various projects aimed at developing an informal system of resolving consumer disputes. The European Consumer Complaint Form Drawn up by the European Commission in the eleven official languages of the European Union, the European Consumer Complaint Form is aimed to guide and orient consumers in formulating their claims. It contains multiple-choice lists of responses so that consumers can conveniently set out their problems and their claims.
Additional space is available if consumers have further details to provide.
The Form can be used for disputes within the jurisdiction. The Form is written in simple language used as far as possible. But as the use of legal terminology is unavoidable in certain places, the European Commission has also prepared a Guide explaining how the various sections should be completed. The Form can be used whatever the sum of money involved and for whatever the type of consumer dispute. Its use is not mandatory as the parties can choose to use conventional redress methods or any other voluntary means.