Verbraucherschlichtung Austria

Founded in 2015, Verbraucherschlichtung Austria is a non-profit association based in Wien, Austria working on justice & legal aid, community development.

The Verbraucherschlichtung Austria is an independent, non-profit association that runs free, voluntary out-of-court dispute resolution between consumers and businesses in Austria. It is one of eight state-recognised consumer dispute resolution bodies under the Alternative-Streitbeilegung-Gesetz and acts as the residual body, handling cases that the seven specialised bodies do not cover, such as disputes over goods, travel, tradespeople, insurance, subscriptions and foreign-currency loans. Cases are reviewed by independent mediators, who may commission free expert opinions, and the service aims to reach settlements without court proceedings. The association also runs school workshops on consumer rights and a care-sector dispute resolution pilot with the Arbeiterkammer and the Wirtschaftskammer Wien. It is funded by the Sozialministerium, the Wirtschaftskammer's banking and insurance division, the Land Niederösterreich and its members, and publishes annual reports on its caseload.