Electronic Complaints Book Platform
1. What is this platform used for?
This platform is for consumers and users of essential public services (electricity and natural gas, water and waste, electronic communications and postal services) who wish to present a complaint regarding a service provided from these sectors, to request information from the respective regulatory entities or to obtain practical information.
2. Who is the service provider/goods supplier?
The service provider/goods supplier is the company you are going to claim against, which will receive your complaint and must respond to you.
3. I am a consumer/user. For what kind of consumption disputes can I use this platform?
I can only use the platform for disputes over essential public services: electricity and natural gas, water and waste, electronic communications and postal services.
4. Must I contact the vendor before presenting a complaint on this platform?
Although it is not mandatory, it is always advisable to do so, seeking to find an amicable solution for the dispute.
5. What is it indispensable to have to use the platform?
it is indispensable to have your own email address or one to which you have access. Any contact between the consumer, service provider and regulatory entities will usually be made using the email address you indicate on the complaint form.
However, any other contact details (telephone or postal address) are important for the service provider/goods supplier to be able to handle the complaint as quickly as possible.
6. Which language can I use on this platform?
The platform is available in Portuguese and English.
7. Is it necessary to pay any amount to be able to present a complaint?
Using the electronic complaints book does not entail any expense for the consumer, although it should be used in a conscientious and responsible manner and is only for the purpose of raising a consumption complaint.
FAQ – Complaint Process
1. How can I make a complaint?
To make a complaint you should access the homepage of the Electronic Complaints Book and click on “Make a Complaint”. Then you will be asked for an email address and as soon as you click on “Submit”, you will receive a message in your inbox with a link to continue with your complaint. This link is available for 60 minutes, after which the link will no longer be valid and you will have to repeat the above-mentioned process. If you do not complete the complaint after accessing the form, this link will be disabled.
After clicking on that link, there are 4 steps to make the complaint:
- Fill in your personal details, the details of your usual residence and, in the case of a service that has been provided at another address, fill in the field called “Address where the service was provided”.
- Fill in the supplier’s details. To do so, you should choose the activity sector, by selecting one of the service suppliers indicated on the list. Should the provider in question not be on the list, you should manually type in the name of the service provider.
- Fill in all the fields on the form.
- Lastly, check if all the details are correct and click on “submit”.
After completing these 4 steps you will receive proof of your complaint in your email inbox, and you can then print it if you wish.
2. I received the link to the complaint form in my email, but only opened it the following day. Now I’m unable to make the complaint. What can I do?
The link to access the form is valid for 60 minutes. After that time, you must start a new request. To do so, just type your email again in the “email validation” field, and then you will receive a new access link to the form which, as with the previous one, will last for 60 minutes.
3. How can I be sure that my complaint was submitted successfully?
You will receive an email confirmation that your request was submitted, indicating the complaint number and respective time of submission, as well as a PDF proof of the complaint, containing a digital signature.
4. How long will I have to wait for an answer?
The service provider/goods supplier has 15 working days to respond to complaints it has received.
5. What happens if I don’t receive an answer after presenting a complaint?
First check if the information indicated on the complaint form is correct – especially the email address.
The company has 15 working days to respond. If you do not receive an answer within that period you may contact the sector’s regulatory entity and/or if you are a consumer use an alternative consumption dispute resolution entity, to receive help in mediation or dispute arbitration.
6. I submitted my complaint, but the 5 minutes have passed and I haven’t been able to keep a copy. How can I access a copy of my complaint?
A copy of your complaint will be automatically sent to your email address, after the complaint has been submitted.
7. Can I attach any documents to my complaint?
Yes, you can attach up to 3 documents. Maximum file size: 3 MB. Type of files accepted: pdf, jpg, jpeg, png, doc, docx, xls, xlsx, ppt, pptx, odb, odf, odg, odp, ods, odt.
8. To whom was my complaint sent?
When you present your complaint, it is forwarded to the service provider/goods supplier and simultaneously to the sector’s regulatory entity. At the same time, a pdf copy of the complaint you presented will be received at your email address.
9. How do I receive the answer to my complaint from the service provider/goods supplier?
You will be informed of the answer to your complaint through the email address you indicated in your complaint.
10. How can I follow up the handling of the complaint presented?
You can directly contact the regulator of the sector concerning the complaint or consult the progress of your complaint through RTIC – Rede Telemática de Informação Come (Common Information Telematic Network). To view the status of your complaint, you just need to access the RTIC clicking on the option “01 Consumers and Economic Operators” and typing in your details, namely the complaint number and your personal identification number.
The complaint number you must type in is in the top right-hand corner of your complaint.
11. Who can access the information on the complaint?
The consumer/user who made the complaint can access information about it, as well as the service provider/goods supplier to whom the complaint was made, and the regulatory entity.
12. The system does not accept my identity card number, what can I do?
In most cases the ID has 8 digits. The computer system of the platform is configured by default to accept 8 digits, plus the check digit, amounting to a total of 9 digits. The check digit is the isolated number that appears in front of the number of identity card.
Example: 96521985 → 965219856
However, there are also identity cards that only have 6 or 7 digits. In this situation the consumer should put before the identity card number one or more zero to make up to 8 digits, plus the check digit.
Examples: 9652198 → 096521987 / 965219 → 009652197
13. When I was filling in the complaint form/submitting the complaint, an error message appeared or the system blocked and I cannot continue with the form. Who can I contact?
In the case of any technical problems with the platform you should contact INCM – Impresa Nacional-Casa da Moeda, using the following contacts: lro.suporte@incm.pt.
If you need any further information concerning the functioning of the platform you should contact Direção-Geral do Consumidor (Directorate-General for the Consumer), using the following contacts: lro.duvidas@dg.consumidor.pt.
FAQ – Information requests process
1. What constitutes an information request, for the purpose of the electronic complaints book platform?
An information request can be used to obtain answers to matters related to essential public services (electricity and natural gas, water and waste, electronic communications and postal services), such as invoices, deadlines, prescription, applicable legislation.
2. What is the importance of requesting information?
When requesting information, you will obtain further clarification about your rights to be able to provide better grounds for your complaint or even avoid making it.
3. To make an information request, follow the following steps:
To make an information request you should access the homepage of the Electronic Complaints Book, and click on “Request Information”. Then you will be asked for an email address and as soon as you click on “Submit”, you will receive a message in your inbox with a link to continue with your information request. This link is available for 60 minutes, after which the link will no longer be valid and you will have to repeat the above-mentioned process. If you do not complete the information request after accessing the form, this link will be disabled.
After clicking on that link, there are 3 steps to make the information request:
- Type in your personal details and the details of your usual residence.
- Fill in all the fields on the form.
- Lastly, check if all the details are correct and click on “submit”.
After completing these 4 steps, you will receive proof of your information request in your email inbox, which you can print if you wish.
4. When I make an information request, who am I addressing? Who is going to respond?
The response to the information request will come from the regulatory entity of the activity sector you chose.
5. How long will I have to wait?
There is no specific period for the regulator to give an answer.
6. The system does not accept my identity card number, what can I do?
In most cases the ID has 8 digits. The computer system of the platform is configured by default to accept 8 digits, plus the check digit, amounting to a total of 9 digits. The check digit is the isolated number that appears in front of the number of identity card.
Example: 96521985 → 965219856
However, there are also identity cards that only have 6 or 7 digits. In this situation the consumer should put before the identity card number one or more zero to make up to 8 digits, plus the check digit.
Examples: 9652198 → 096521987 / 965219 → 009652197
