Belgian retailers set up ombudsman service to deal with shoppers' complaints

Comeos, the federation representing the major retail and supermarket chains, is to set up its own ombudsman service to deal with complaints of customer satisfaction. The service should be up and running by the new year, De Tijd reports.

The service will deal with complaints from customers regarding products bought in one of the participating stores, where the customer believes the store has not done enough to respond.

“Customers can consult the service absolutely free,” said Comeos chair Dominique Michel. “The service will be financed by the chain stores, which will pay a sort of subscription depending on their size. That money will allow us to hire independent lawyers who can step in if there is a conflict between a customer and a chain.”

Not all Comeos members – which include such chains as Brico, Ikea, Carrefour and Overstock – are taking part, but the federation aims to have 20 chains on board by the time it launches in January. “I see a lot of interest, and we expect more stores to join up as the project advances,” Michel said.

More information on consumer rights and a list of stores taking part will be made available when the service is launched.

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