Complaints Book (Livro de Reclamações) in Portugal

Useful Information

Employment in Portugal

Working in Portugal

Income Tax in Portugal

Social Security Benefits in Portugal

Qualification Recognition in Portugal

The Livro de Reclamações (complaints book) is your first protection as a consumer in Portugal.

By law businesses offering services or providing goods in Portugal not only have to have a Livro de Reclamações, (complaints book) where customers can make a formal written complaint, but also have to have a notice, clearly visible in their premises stating they have the book.

Should you wish to make a complaint about the service or goods then you must ask the establishment for their Livro de Reclamações. The forms inside are in triplicate and it is important you provide information about yourself (name, address and identity card/residençia card or passport number), the reason for your complaint with the date and time of occurrence.

Once you have completed the form a representative of the company will have to counter-sign they have witnessed the complaint. Then you will receive a copy of this form. The company owner is duty bound to then forward a copy to the relevant regulatory body within five days of the complaint being registered within the book.

The regulatory body will then, within 10 days, decide upon reviewing all the evidence, what action needs to be taken. The regulatory body will inform all parties of the decision and the action taken.

Companies failing to have a Livro de Reclamações or failing to display clearly they have one can be fined between 250€ and 30,000€. Withholding the book from someone wishing to make a complaint can also result in a fine of up to 30,000€. If an establishment does refuse access to the Livro de Reclamações you can contact the police to intervene. At which point the severity of the fine which will be imposed on the company becomes no less than 15,000€.