Having a dispute with a customer? ValuedShops is here to help!
As an online retailer, you do your best for all your customers. If someone ever has a complaint, you naturally try to resolve it as best you can. But it’s not always possible to keep everyone satisfied, and sometimes you need help from other parties. ValuedShops mediates in about 1,000 disputes each year. We maintain a neutral stance throughout the process. We do our best to reach a fair solution that both parties can agree on.
The benefits of dispute mediation by ValuedShops
- The option to submit a dispute instills greater trust in your customers
- The dispute is defused because a third party objectively assesses the situation and evaluates it against the law
- Dispute mediation by ValuedShops prevents disputes from dragging on for a long time
If dispute mediation by ValuedShops does not lead to a resolution, there are other options. A court case can take a long time, and hiring a lawyer is quite expensive. Fortunately, there is a good alternative to going to court: the independent dispute resolution board DigiDispuut. DigiDispuut is an independent platform for disputes between consumers and businesses. An independent legal expert handles the disputes. About 50 times a year, disputes involving ValuedShops members are submitted to DigiDispuut.
‘The Traveling Judge’
You can compare this solution to the TV show “De Rijdende Rechter.” Both parties are allowed to present their case and submit evidence. The private judge then issues a ruling that is binding on both parties. This can be very helpful for complex issues, where it’s sometimes difficult to determine what constitutes a reasonable solution. Imagine that your customer bought a hot tub from you and rented a crane to install it in their yard. Then it turns out there’s something wrong with it. According to the warranty rules, the customer would have to return the product. But then the customer would have to rent another crane and ship that massive tub back to you. What, then, is a reasonable, fair solution? Should they return it anyway, or would it be better for an expert to visit the customer? An external legal expert can make an objective ruling on the matter.
How does the DigiDispuut dispute resolution committee work?
- Once ValuedShops can no longer mediate, DigiDispuut contacts the consumer who filed the complaint. DigiDispuut asks the consumer to draft the claim.
- Once this is done, the online store is shown the claim and may prepare its defense.
- Everything is then compiled and submitted as a case to the evaluator.
- If necessary, the legal advisor will ask one or both parties for additional information. This may take the form of a second round of information (i.e., another claim and defense), or a hearing. The hearing is similar to a court hearing but takes place online. So you don’t have to travel anywhere.
- In very exceptional cases, a product expert is consulted. For example, if a product shows signs of wear and tear, the expert assesses whether that wear and tear is consistent with the material and the duration of use.
- Once all the information has been received, the legal expert issues an independent ruling in which one of the two parties is found to be right or wrong, or partially right or wrong.
- This ruling is legally binding.
This way, a fair and definitive solution is reached without having to go to court. Wondering how to present your case effectively in such a situation? You can read more about that here.
The benefits of submitting a dispute to DigiDispuut:
- The option to submit a dispute instills greater confidence in your customers
- A fair resolution, even for complex issues
- The DigiDispuut hearing takes place online
- The ruling by DigiDispuut’s legal expert is binding
- The goal is to reach a ruling within three months. This is much faster than a court proceeding.
Both customers and online retailers value the mediation provided by ValuedShops and the option to submit a dispute to DigiDispuut. After all, it’s usually not a matter of unwillingness, but simply that finding a fair solution can be complicated. Often, both parties are quite willing to pay a little more or go the extra mile if that means the problem can be resolved satisfactorily.
How do consumers report a dispute?
Consumers can report a dispute by clicking on “dispute mediation” on their member page at ValuedShops. The complaint must not be older than one year. The order value must be greater than €25 and less than €25,000. When a dispute is submitted to DigiDispuut, the consumer pays a one-time fee of €25 to prevent unnecessary appeals to the dispute committee. If the consumer’s claim is upheld, they can recover this amount from the online store.