Ombudsman of the La Poste group: how to seize it?

Verified 31 May 2021 - Directorate for Legal and Administrative Information (Prime Minister)

The consumer ombudsman of the La Poste Group intervenes in any dispute concerning La Poste's products or services (mail and parcels, Banque postale, Chronopost). Before contacting the mediator, a complaint must be made to the relevant department of the La Poste Group. The process is free of charge and can be done online or by mail. If the Ombudsman declares your request inadmissible or if the solution he proposes is not suitable for you, you can take the matter to court.

You can contact the mediator for any dispute concerning the offer of products or services of the La Poste group (mail and parcels, Banque postale, Chronopost).

However, if the dispute concerns a telephony offer marketed by La Poste, you must enter the electronic communications ombudsman.

Please note

you cannot refer your case to the mediator if your case has already been or is being reviewed by another mediator or a court.

Before contacting the mediator, you must try to resolve your dispute with the competent complaints services of La Poste.

Some services provide for a dual level of review of your file (for example, for a mail dispute).

You can make the claim via the following online service:

Make a complaint to the La Poste group

You can contact the Ombudsman if you are not satisfied with the reply or have not received a reply within 2 months following the lodging of the complaint.

Referral to the Ombudsman must be made Maximum 1 year after your complaint.

You can enter the mediator directly or through a representative (lawyer, consumer association).

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Mediation is free of charge.

However, if you hire a lawyer or an expert, the costs will be borne by you.

The Ombudsman first examines whether the case is admissible or not, i.e. whether or not it is necessary to open a mediation procedure.

According to the Ombudsman's Charter, there is no need to open a mediation procedure in the following cases:

  • You do not prove that you have attempted to resolve his dispute with the appropriate complaint services of La Poste or the subsidiary concerned. If your complaint is not answered, it takes 2 months to contact the consumer ombudsman.
  • Your request appears to be manifestly unfounded or abusive
  • The dispute has been previously examined or is currently being examined by another mediator or by a court
  • You submitted your complaint to the Ombudsman within 1 year of the first complaint lodged with La Poste or the subsidiary concerned
  • The dispute does not fall within the Ombudsman's remit

Then the procedure varies depending on whether your file has been declared admissible or not.

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Admissible file

If the case is admissible, the Ombudsman must inform you notify, as soon as possible.

It must then make a proposal for a solution within three months of notification.

In the event of a complex dispute, this period may be extended.

You have 14 days from the day the Ombudsman's proposal is issued to accept or reject it.

Inadmissible file

When your case is inadmissible, the Ombudsman must inform you notify within 3 weeks of receiving your request.

The decision must explain why your application is refused.

Depending on the case, the mediator will either send your case back to you or send it to another mediator who is competent to deal with it.

If the Ombudsman declares your request inadmissible or if you do not have an answer, you can enter a civil court to settle the dispute.

Agreement is reached

Each party undertakes to implement the proposal made by the mediator.

No agreement found

Mediation ends.

You can enter a civil court to settle the dispute.