Today, March 20, 2025, the European Union’s Online Dispute Resolution platform is coming to an end.
This service was created by the European Commission in 2016 with the goal of facilitating quick, accessible, and out-of-court dispute resolution between consumers and online merchants. The initiative emerged from Regulation (EU) 524/2013 of the European Parliament and the Council, which established the creation of a centralized portal to handle conflicts related to online purchases within the European Union.
Since its launch, the platform was presented as an innovative solution to guarantee consumer rights in the digital environment. In its early years of operation, the platform accumulated over 180,000 complaints and registered more than 19,000 businesses, ranging from large marketplaces to many SMEs across Europe. However, over time, the platform’s effectiveness was compromised due to low merchant participation and a high percentage of complaints that went unanswered.
The main problem identified was the lack of response from merchants, with an average of 80-85% of complaints receiving no response. Despite efforts to improve the platform with technical redesigns and new features such as the "direct conversations" module, overall effectiveness remained low. After studying the statistics provided by the Commission, we found that only 6% of consumers experiencing an issue used the platform, and less than 2% of visits generated a complaint form. In fact, only 17,012 complaints were filed in 2022, with just 318 referred to ADR and 107 successfully resolved.
Alternative dispute resolution systems can be very effective in solving consumer issues, but they depend on the collaboration of all parties.
Given this situation, the European Commission has decided to discontinue the online dispute resolution platform and proposes the official repeal of Regulation (EU) 524/2013. However, this does not mean that consumer protection in digital environments will be abandoned. The Commission is considering new ways to enhance online dispute resolution through recommendations directed at marketplaces and EU trade associations to implement their own conflict resolution systems. Additionally, the goal is to promote the use of more efficient and accessible alternative solutions for consumers.
If you want to know more about the consumer rights that will remain in force in Europe, you can check them here (In the tools section).
Although the platform will be available until July 20, 2025, to manage complaints submitted up to today, no new complaints will be accepted as of today, March 20, 2025.
For those with pending complaints, the platform has assured that all will be processed before its definitive closure.
If you run an online business, this decision means you will need to update the terms and conditions of your website to remove the link to the EU dispute resolution platform. This link, in fact, was mandatory until now and caused more than one sanction to e-commerce businesses by consumer agencies.
At Lawwwing, thanks to our use of technology, we keep our clients always up to date with current regulations without them having to worry about constantly reviewing legal changes or reading the official journal. We do that work for you. When important modifications occur, such as this closure, we notify you and automatically update your legal texts to ensure you remain compliant with all regulations, hassle-free.
Stay focused on your business while we ensure you are always protected.
