FAQ Traders

What does it mean to be an associateа member of NAIS?

Any Bulgarian trade company / supplier of goods and services can become an associate member of NAIS, including online intermediation service providers and search engines, under EU Regulation 2019/1150. Companies which are not registered in Bulgaria, cannot be members of NAIS. All associate members participate in the Chamber of Traders without the right to vote. They have the right to designate and appoint NAIS as a body for resolving disputes with their clients. Only associate members can use the full range of services of the ADR Centre of NAIS.

Upon a complaint to them, they decide whether to negotiate directly with their client or to request a mediation procedure.

IMPORTANT! At the NAIS ADR Center, associate members, online intermediation service providers and search engines resolve disputes with their business partners entirely through mediation, through popular video conferencing applications.

In addition to Associate Members, consumers may file complaints with traders who are not members of NAIS. In the complaint form, they indicate the data of the trader and register it in the online platform of NAIS.

Why become an associate member of NAIS?

Every trader can register absolutely free of charge at the NAIS ADR Centre, but only the NAIS Associate Members get the unique opportunity to resolve disputes with their dissatisfied customers quickly, easily, conveniently, efficiently and economically in the specially developed innovative and unique in Europe online platform- NAIS platform.

Traders- providers of intermediation online services and online search engines, are obliged under Regulation 2019/1150 to indicate in their general conditions at least 2 bodies for out-of-court settlement of disputes through mediation, with which they are willing to engage to attempt to reach an agreement with business users on the settlement, out of court, of any disputes between the provider and the business user arising in relation to the provision of the online intermediation services concerned, including complaints that could not be resolved by means of the internal complaint-handling system.

What advantages do I have as an associate member of NAIS?

As an associate member, your company can refer to NAIS as an organization that resolves disputes with your customers, put a link on its site to us, be present in the list of associate members of NAIS, which is made public on our site in the Associate Members section.

Your company will not only have access to the services of the NAIS platform, but will be able to receive on an annual basis statistics.

Based on the analysis of these statistics, your company will be able to identify measures to improve its products and / or services.

Associate Members' staff may participate free of charge in specially organized NAIS trainings and seminars on good practices and information on the effectiveness of complaints redress, negotiation and the effectiveness of alternative dispute resolution.

How to become an associate member of NAIS?

Traders can also register themselves in the online platform of NAIS from the menu REGISTRATION and tab TRADER. This can happen after they have received notification of a complaint filed against them at the NAIS ADR Centre or at their request, without a complaint being received.

In order to become an associate member, a trader must have paid an annual membership fee of BGN 200.

The services of the ADR Centre of NAIS are free of charge for the complainant and are paid for by the trader.

Direct negotiations and / or mediation can only start if the trader has purchased credits for the respective service.

How much is the membership fee?

The membership fee is BGN 200 and is for a period of 12 months. It is renewed no later than one month before the start of the new membership period.

Associate membership entitles the trader to designate and refer to NAIS ADR Centre as a body for resolving disputes with its customers, to use the full range of services of NAIS, to receive statistics and analysis from the online platform for its services, to participate in events, seminars and trainings organized by NAIS.

Why do I need to receive complaints as a trader at the NAIS ADR Centre?

A common misconception is that if a company has no complaints from its customers, then everything is fine. Complaints from dissatisfied customers are not a dangerous thing, but a chance for companies to take a better look at the mistakes they make in service, communication, work with them and their internal processes. Every customer who files a complaint has a chance to remain loyal if negotiations are conducted in good faith and a desire for a mutually beneficial agreement.

NAIS allows its associate members to receive complaints from their customers who for some reason do not wish to contact the trader in any other way, but chose to file a complaint with an independent organization. In addition, they can negotiate in an easy, convenient, efficient and economical way in our NAIS platform. In the event that they are unable to reach an agreement, the parties may at any time request assisted negotiations, with the assistance of a third party, a mediator, to help in the negotiations between them.

In the event that direct negotiations have already taken place between a consumer and a trader in the communication channels of the latter, but no agreement has been reached, they may seek assistance from NAIS ADR Centre to conduct mediation, with the help of a third neutral, independent and impartial person- mediator. It is necessary for the client to file a complaint to the trader in the NAIS platform, and the trader to choose to conduct a mediation procedure, from the very beginning, when opening the complaint mediation.

How much does a mediation procedure cost?

A mediation procedure costs BGN 110, which is equal to EUR 56.24. The tax is payable upfront the procedure. The payment details are as follows:

First Investment Bank- Fibank
IBAN:BG91FINV91501216791708
BIC:FINVBGSF
Beneficiary:
National Association for Out-of-Court Settlements- NAIS

Who can register at NAIS ADR Centre?

Both consumers and traders can register in our ADR centre absolutely free of charge.

Mediators can also be registered in it. The mediators apply and if they are approved by the Board of NAIS, they get access to our online platform.

Apply for a mediator here.

Which companies are associated members of the NAIS? 

A full list of associated members can be found in the associated Members menu.

What is ADR?

ADR is an alternative dispute resolution. It is alternative because it is resolved out of court. We chose mediation as a form of alternative dispute resolution because it is voluntary for the parties, faster and more efficient than litigation, the parties have clarity and control over the final decision on their dispute and most importantly because mediation preserves the relationship between consumer and trader.

What is the NAIS platform?

The NAIS platform is an innovative system, the only web-based platform of its kind in Bulgaria, providing a virtual environment in which disputes between consumers and traders are resolved. Thanks to it, the NAIS ADR Centre performs its activities with high proficiency , efficiently, quickly, easily at any time convenient for the parties, wherever they are.

Stages of development of the NAIS platform:

• In the first stage of its development until June 2020, the NAIS platform allowed users to file complaints to Merchants-Associate Members only if they had previously negotiated with them, in communication channels developed by the merchants themselves. In the NAIS platform they could conduct a procedure for resolving a consumer dispute only if they were not satisfied with the response to the complaint or did not receive one. The terms of a possible agreement reached in resolving the dispute were introduced into the platform and it generated an agreement with which the parties agree.
• After June 2020, it is now possible for consumers to file complaints to traders not only in their communication channels, but also in the online platform of NAIS. The trader can choose whether to negotiate directly with the consumer in a specially designed new module in our system or to choose an alternative dispute resolution with the help of a mediator. In the event that the parties cannot reach a mutually beneficial agreement on their own, at any time, either of them may request assisted negotiations through a mediator. In this way, we believe that customers will be encouraged to share the reasons for their dissatisfaction, and companies will receive maximum feedback from them to have a chance to meet their needs and keep them as customers.

What is the deadline for direct negotiations between consumers and traders?

The maximum period for direct negotiation is 30 days from the approval of the complaint as admissible.

What is the term for conducting mediation?

The maximum term for its holding is 90 days from obtaining the consent of both parties in the NAIS platform.

How are the mediators selected in NAIS ADR Centre?

We select our mediators according to a specially developed list of criteria. In addition, our mediators agree with the NAIS Code of Ethics for conducting ADR.

Apply for a mediator here.

See the most frequently asked questions by consumers here.

What other fees are paid by the merchant?

Depending on the needs and choice of the trader, he can use the NAIS platform for:

• Direct negotiations on complaints from his clients, submitted to NAIS ADR Centre and/or
• Mediation, in case the two parties have not reached an agreement in direct negotiations.

In order to conduct direct negotiations on a complaint, the trader must have bought credits for them. Package of…. The credits costs…. BGN and covers… .. a fixed number of… .. complaints on which the trader can resolve disputes directly with its customers in the NAIS platform. The number of credits that the trader buys depends on his needs. It is recommended that this package be paid as soon as you become a member of NAIS. Otherwise, if we wait until the first complaint is received, while the bank transfer is taking place, the maximum period for conducting direct negotiations is running, and it is 30 days from the approval of the complaint as admissible. In this sense, in order to have enough time to negotiate with his client, the trader must pay this fee as early as possible.

After paying the fee for direct negotiations, the company gets access to the content of the complaint to, as well as to the module of the NAIS platform, designed for conducting virtual direct negotiations with his clients. After the package of credits for direct negotiations is exhausted, the company must purchase a new package, otherwise it will not have access to the content of the complaints filed against it. 

The mediation fee is BGN 110 and is paid at the latest immediately before it takes place. If the trader considers necessary, he can buy several credits and thus pay for several mediations in advance.

How can I terminate my membership in NAIS?

Membership in NAIS is terminated in the absence of a new annual membership fee after the expiration of the 12-month period, or by application. Membership is allowed only to Bulgarian traders.

Important! Upon termination of membership before the expiration of the 12-month period for which the annual membership fee has been paid, the latter shall not be refunded.

Can I be expelled as an associate member of NAIS?

NAIS strives to promote good practices in customer service in Bulgaria, seeks a way to help its associate members to improve the quality of their service, seeks to contribute to maintaining good business relationships even with dissatisfied customers and to respond as quickly and adequately as possible to the needs of its members. For this purpose, it is necessary to constantly develop the online platform and to improve the services of the ADR Centre of NAIS. In this regard, NAIS requires associate members to pay their membership fees on a regular basis. In case of non-payment, unethical behaviour of the company to the association and other actions described in detail in the Statutes of Association  it is necessary to terminate the membership.

How is the activity of NAIS financed?

The activity of NAIS is financed by the membership fees of the associate members, by fees for conducting direct and assisted negotiations, under EU programs and through donations.

See the most frequently asked questions by consumers here.