European Consumer Centre

Consumer's safety network in Finland

The starting point for consumer protection is that the consumer is entitled to obtain help in order to exercise his statutory rights. The following services are at your disposal, free of charge:

Municipal consumer advicers

• provide personal consumer advice and mediate in individual disputes

Consumer Complaints Board

• gives recommendations in cases of individual disputes where there are problems concerning goods, services or real estate sales

Consumer Ombudsman

• can intervene in cases of illegal marketing and unfair contract terms
• can take such cases to the Market Court- can assist individual consumers in court in matters that are of general significance

Consumer Agency

• makes comparisons, studies and provides information
• monitors product safety
• maintains the register and handles the securities of package tour operators

European Consumer Centre

• provides information and advice on cross-border trade and consumer protection in the EU
• provides assistance for the settlement and mediation of consumer disputes concerning cross-border trade in the EU

If a product or service is defective

1. First contact the seller and discuss compensation (repair, exchange for a defect free item, price reduction or rescission).

2. If no agreement can be reached, contact the consumer advice service in your own municipality, who can look into the matter and mediate on your behalf.

3. If an agreement still cannot be reached, you can make a complaint to the Consumer Complaints Board. You can obtain the forms and instructions for filling them out from the consumer advice service.

4. If the Board s recommendation does not lead to a result, you can consider taking the matter to the district court. This is subject to charge, but legal protection insurance covers the costs up to a certain limit.You can always ask your municipal consumer adviser for advice on:- what constitutes a defect as defined by the Consumer Protection Act- what kind of compensation can you demand- what is the best way to proceed in your case- when and how to make a complaint to the Consumer Complaints Board

Personal consumer advice

• You can obtain contact information on the consumer advice services from the Consumer Agency´s website.

Further information

• On the Consumer Agency´s website: Instructions and forms for making complaints, FAQs and the Kuluttaja consumer magazines web service including buyers guides and product tests (in finnish) 
• Consumer Complaints board

Consumer authorities and organisations in Finland

• Finnish Consumer Agency
• The Consumers' Association of Finland 
• National Consumer Research Centre

Extra judicial dispute resolution within the consumer sector in Finland

• Consumer Complaint Board
• The Finnish Financial Ombudsman Bureau (advisory services in problem situations relating to the banking, insurance and securities sectors)

Other useful links in Finland

• Data protection in Finland
• Finnish Competition Authority
• Finnish Customs
• Finnish Transport Safety Agency (Trafi)
• Judical System in Finland
• Ministry of Justice Finland
• Finnish Safety and Chemicals Agency (Tukes)

EU related links

• Gateway to the European Union
• European Commission - Consumer Affairs