Consumer protection gets its own ombudsman

Consumers seeking help with a problem with a company now have one central place to turn: a new consumer ombudsman service introduced by Kris Peeters, federal minister for consumer affairs.

The service is a “one-stop shop” for anyone with a complaint against a company. “Any time a consumer has a complaint about an energy bill or doesn’t get the guarantee they are entitled to or wants a wrongly-paid invoice reimbursed, now has one physical and online address,” Peeters said. “No need any longer to wonder which is the right institution to turn to.”

The ombudsman can be consulted via internet, fax or the post. Consumers are also welcome to come to the office in Brussels. “The service will see to it that the consumer’s question reaches the proper service or they will handle it themselves,” said Peeters. “The procedure is simple, and treatment will be speedy.”

The new service will not replace existing services for telecommunications, post, energy, railways, financial services and insurance, but it will in future form the principal portal for consumers whose complaint concerns any of those bodies. “The consumer ombudsman will become the single point of entry for the consumer,” Peeters said.

The service can be contacted by telephone at 02 702 52 0002 702 52 00. The office is located at North Gate II, Koning Albert II-laan 8, 1000 Brussels.

photo: Ingimage

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