Remote shopping: what recourse in case of a dispute?

In the event of a problem related to a distance purchase from a professional or a merchant site, different recourse, amicable or not, are possible.

You can:

• contact seller's customer service: if no agreement is found after this first contact, you can send the seller a registered letter with acknowledgement of receipt
• to refer the matter to the consumer ombudsman if the seller does not reply to your mail or if you are not satisfied with their reply (this information on the ombudsman's referral on consumption must appear in the general conditions of sale);
• contact a consumer association in your region that can help you with your efforts;
• contact the departmental directorate for the protection of populations (DDPP) or the departmental directorate for social cohesion and the protection of populations (DDCSPP) on which you depend (for a faster processing of your request, you must contact the departmental management where the seat of the company concerned by the dispute is located);
• alert DGCCRF if you believe that you are the victim of a price violation, an unfair commercial practice or deception;
• to bring an action before the civil courts if you have not been able to obtain an amicable solution or if you feel you have been the victim of an offense (for example, a scam), refer to the criminal justice system by filing a complaint.