Although alternative dispute mechanisms do not ultimately take the place of the consumer's right to take legal action in their own courts, they facilitate appropriate solutions for consumers. On the basis of its findings, Consumers International is calling for the development of international standards, consistent with legislation and governmental recommendations, as well as with the criteria used in its survey. These were assessed against a list of 38 criteria based on recommendations published by the European Commission and the Transatlantic Consumer Dialogue. Most of the services are private business ventures, reliant on user fees. We need effective, neutral oversight mechanisms to ensure that consumers are in fact being well-served by these services.
Several spokespersons are available for interviews.