Consumer’s Reader: NAIS Advice to Consumers about Filing Complaints to Traders - Part 2

In the first and second part of this series of tips for consumers on how to file complaints against traders, we considered the option to do so in the company's internal channel or external - electronic platform of ADR Center NAIS nais.bg for Bulgarian citizens and ec.europa.eu/consumers/odr for non-Bulgarian citizens.

We will now tell which authorities can help resolve the dispute with the trader.

Alternative Dispute Resolution Bodies - ADR

Conciliation commissions of the CPC

These commissions are general and sectoral. The general commissions cover all sectors of the economy, incl. tourism. The sectoral commissions are in the field of electricity, water supply and sewerage services, electronic communications and postal services, road transport, railways. transport, etc. In these commissions, the end result of the dispute is a recommendation for a decision. It is not binding on both parties, each of them has the right not to accept it. You can read more about the conciliation commissions of the CPC on the website of the Consumer Protection Commission kzp.bg.

NAIS ADR Center

Currently, this is the only alternative to the conciliation commissions of the CPC and the only body that deals with consumer disputes exclusively and only online. This is done through the NAIS Center's own online platform - nais.bg, and through the EU's online ODR platform - https://ec.europa.eu/consumers/odr.

The negotiations are supported by a third, specially trained, independent and impartial mediator. He/she aims not to make decisions in the dispute, but to encourage the parties to propose solutions, to unite the disputants around their common interests and to help control their emotions. The mediator is obliged to maintain the confidentiality of the information shared with him/her.

The ADR procedure has many advantages over seeking redress through the courts.

ADR is free for complainants, it is fast and efficient, it takes no more than 90 days, it preserves the relationship between the parties, which is important especially when it comes to a subscription service or a trader whose products and services the consumer would like to continue buying/using.

If you want to file a complaint against a trader, you can do so on nais.bg, having previously registered in it. For non-Bulgarian citizens the complaint must be submitted in the ODR platform of the European Union.

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