The ‘European Online Dispute Resolution Platform’ (ODR platform), which has been in existence since 2016, will be shut down on 20 July this year. The platform, which was intended to support consumers and retailers in resolving disputes, never met with the expected response.
The online dispute resolution platform was originally launched to offer a simple, out-of-court solution for consumer disputes. Consumers were able to submit their complaints via the interactive website, which were then forwarded to an ‘alternative dispute resolution centre’.
Companies that offered online sales contracts or online service contracts had to indicate the existence of the ODR platform on their website and in their general terms and conditions, but were not obliged to actively participate in any dispute resolution procedures. The European dispute resolution project was not particularly well received by consumers either: Less than 200 cases per year since its establishment indicate this. Regulation (EU) 2024/3228, which was adopted on 19 December 2024, is therefore set to discontinue the EU online dispute resolution platform.
The deadline for submitting new complaints was 20 March 2025.. In order to allow sufficient time for the settlement of ongoing cases, all data stored on the platform, including personal information, will be deleted by 20 July 2025 at the latest. The European Commission provides a list of alternative dispute resolution tools on its website.
Source: GTAI (In German)
