The ECC Network’s quality assurance

The European Consumer Centres (ECC) Network consists of 29 offices located in all EU Member States, as well as Norway and Iceland. The ECC-network also collaborates with a consumer office in the United Kingdom. Each office is co-funded by the European Commission and the national government of the country in which it is located. In Sweden, ECC Sweden is partially funded by the Swedish Consumer Agency.

The ECC Network offers free information and advice to consumers about cross-border trade within the EU, Norway, Iceland and the UK. The network works in close collaboration and also acts as a mediator between consumers and businesses when problems arise in cross-border trade.

The aim of this enterprise is to help make it easy and reliable for consumers to make cross-border purchases and to allow them to partake of the advantages and choices provided by the European single market.

We strive to meet your expectations

ECC Sweden strives to provide professional and accommodating service to all consumers who contact us. Our aim is to provide you with service that meets your needs and expectations.

We will first investigate your enquiry by making a preliminary assessment to ensure that the matter falls within the scope of the work of the ECC Network. All consumer enquiries are processed by a legally competent administrative officer.

If your request relates to an area that falls outside the scope of our work, we will inform you of this and provide you with contact details for the appropriate authority or organisation. Under the heading “Areas of work within and outside the ECC Network” you can see which areas fall within and outside the scope of our work.

We respond as quickly as possible

Whether you write, call or send an e-mail, we will confirm that we have received your message. We strive to process your case as quickly as possible, and within no more than 14 working days. If, in exceptional cases, we need more time, we will inform you of this fact.

We provide advice and can mediate disputes

Once the first assessment process is complete, you will be informed of your rights under EU consumer law. We will also inform you of any possibilities for resolving your dispute. We will provide you with legal advice and assistance that suits your situation.

The possibility of mediation

When you encounter a cross-border problem, ECC Sweden and the ECC Network can help you resolve the problem by taking your complaint further. We can request help from our sister office in the retailer’s home country.

In order to take your complaint further, the following conditions must be met:

• You must have tried to resolve the matter by contacting the company in writing.

• You must have a well-founded case, in accordance with applicable European consumer law.

You may be asked to provide relevant documentation in order for us to continue working on your case.

Once your case has been accepted by our sister office, the sister office will strive to achieve a solution by communicating with the company. We will then keep you updated about developments in your case.

We cannot force companies

The ECC Network has no power to enforce penalties or fines in the event of violations of consumer law. Our work is founded on the willingness of companies to work with the ECC offices to reach a solution. We will take all reasonable steps to resolve a dispute. If the company does not cooperate or initiate dialogue with us, we will advise you on alternative ways to resolve the issue.

We help you take your dispute to an alternative dispute resolution body

One of the main objectives of the ECC Network is to resolve consumer disputes without the parties having to go to court. If you and the company cannot reach an agreement to resolve the dispute and the case cannot be resolved with our assistance, we suggest that you seek the assistance of a competent alternative dispute resolution (ADR) body that offers assistance in resolving disputes out-of-court.

In some cases, it will be possible for us to take your case directly to the competent alternative dispute resolution body, monitor the progress of your case, and keep you informed while the matter is being processed. In cases where you can take the matter further yourself, we can provide you with contact details for the competent alternative dispute resolution body, as well as information about what the process entails.

We benefit consumers in the long term

Through our work to help consumers with their cross-border complaints, ECC Sweden and the ECC Network are in a unique position to document problems that consumers encounter when purchasing goods and services within the EU, Iceland, Norway and the UK.

Based on your experience as a consumer, the ECC Network brings together knowledge and expertise and works with law enforcement agencies and national and European stakeholders in the common interests of consumers. This may be the gateway to new legislative proposals or sectors that, in our view, require further enforcement and prevention measures in order to help consumers.

We protect your personal information and privacy

The ECC Network takes the task of protecting the personal data of consumers very seriously. Your information will only be collected, stored and used to process your complaint within the ECC Network and to protect your interests.

All submitted information is processed in accordance with national data protection rules. In certain countries, this means that your information may be disclosed to the public upon request. This applies to all information shared with the ECC offices in Finland, Denmark, Norway and Sweden. That’s why we need your consent.

Learn more about the processing of personal data on the website of the Swedish Government (information in Swedish)

The privacy statement prepared by the European Commission provides you with information about how we use your personal information and your associated rights.

Learn more about how we use your personal information (information in Swedish)

We’re grateful to receive your feedback

Your feedback is important to us. Your praise, suggestions or complaints give us the opportunity to improve our services and communication methods.

While we strive to provide the best possible service, we are aware that problems may sometimes arise. We always address complaints from consumers who are dissatisfied with our services. If you have a complaint, you should first submit the complaint to the person with whom you have been in contact.

If you are dissatisfied with the reply you receive and wish to submit a formal written complaint, you can contact the Director of ECC Sweden via infokonsumenteuropa@konsumentverket.se. The reasonableness of the complaint, as well as how it has been handled, will then be assessed. We may also send you a consumer survey that will allow you to share your experiences and suggest improvements.

Areas of work within and outside the ECC Network

The ECC Network deals with:

• enquiries submitted by consumers (a consumer is defined here as “a natural person acting mainly for purposes which fall outside the area of business”) who have made purchases from a professional trader,

• enquiries pertaining to cross-border purchases within the EU, Iceland or Norway.

The ECC Network does not deal with:

• complaints involving two private individuals (e.g. the purchase of goods or rental of housing between two private individuals)

• complaints involving two companies (e.g. complaints about business consultancy invoices)

• complaints concerning a company outside the geographic area of the network (e.g. Switzerland, USA, China, Russia)

• complaints against a company that has expressly refused to cooperate with the ECC Network

• complaints in which you have already started legal proceedings/litigation

If your question concerns a matter that falls outside the scope of our network, we will notify you and provide you with the contact details of a relevant authority or organisation competent to process your request. For example, this might occur:

• When we can not identify the company (fake contact details, Hidden Internet Domain Registrar, and the like)

• In the case of fraud (pirated copies, so-called “pyramid schemes”)

• For specific investment products, such as currency, binary options, or cryptocurrencies.