Terms and Conditions

TERMS OF USE Heel Tread (UPDATED 9 DECEMBER, 2020)

THESE TERMS ARE ONLY AVAILABLE IN THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE.

Please also visit our Privacy Policy section for information explaining the information we collect and how we use it.

PLEASE READ THESE TERMS OF USE CAREFULLY BEFORE USING THIS WEBSITE.

Welcome to Heel Tread. ("Heel Tread," "we" or "us") website, HeelTread.com (the "Site"). We ask that you abide by the terms and conditions that follow, along with any other terms and conditions that may appear on the Site from time-to-time (collectively, the "Conditions"). Your use of the Site constitutes your agreement with the Conditions that follow and we reserve the right to revise these Conditions at any time. When we make changes, we will post them here. You agree to check this section periodically to be aware of any changes and your continued use of the Site shall be considered your agreement to any modified Conditions. If you do not agree to these Conditions, please do not use the Site.

 

TERMS OF SALE

By placing an order you are offering to purchase a product on and subject to the following terms and conditions. All orders are subject to availability and confirmation of the order price. Dispatch times may vary according to availability and any guarantees or representations made as to delivery times are subject to any delays resulting from postal delays or force majeure for which we will not be responsible. Please see our  notice for further information.In order to contract with Heel Tread you must be over 18 years of age and possess a valid credit or debit card issued by a bank acceptable to us. Heel Tread retains the right to refuse any request made by you. If your order is accepted we will inform you by email and we will confirm the identity of the party which you have contracted with. When placing an order you undertake that all details you provide to us are true and accurate, that you are an authorized user of the credit or debit card used to place your order and that there are sufficient funds to cover the cost of the goods. The cost of foreign products and services may fluctuate. All prices advertised are subject to such changes.

 

OUR CONTRACT

When you place an order, you will receive an e-mail confirming receipt of your order: this email will only be an acknowledgement and will not constitute acceptance of your order. A contract between us will not be formed until we send you confirmation by e-mail that the goods which you ordered have been dispatched to you. Only those goods listed in the confirmation e-mail sent at the time of dispatch will be included in the contract formed.

 

PRICING AND AVAILABILITY

Whilst we try and ensure that all details, descriptions and prices which appear on this Website are accurate, errors may occur. If we discover an error in the price of any goods which you have ordered we will inform you of this as soon as possible and give you the option of reconfirming your order at the correct price or cancelling it. If we are unable to contact you we will treat the order as cancelled. If you cancel and you have already paid for the goods, you will receive a full refund.

The prices quoted on this Website are final prices, which may vary either higher or lower than the prices in stores. You acknowledge that the prices quoted on the Website at the time of ordering will be honored. Where applicable, prices are inclusive of VAT at the rate appropriate to the country of receipt within the EU. VAT is not included in our prices for customers outside of the EU. Orders to countries outside of EU, USA, Japan may be subject to local VAT, import duties and/or taxes, which are levied once your package reaches your country. Heel Tread ships your package according to Incoterm Delivered Duty Unpaid (DDU), which means we do not collect VAT, duties and/or taxes on orders to countries outside the EU, USA, Japan and we cannot predict what your particular charges may be. If you do incur any such additional charges they must be rendered in order for your package to clear customs. Please contact your local customs office for more information. If your country is part of the European Union (EU), prices include VAT. Delivery costs will be charged in addition; such additional charges are clearly displayed where applicable and included in the 'Total Cost'.

Heel Tread is not responsible for any changes in currency value or conversion rates that your bank or credit card company may use when charging in your country’s currency.

Stock levels are subject to availability and we do our best to ensure all orders are packed accordingly to the desired quantities and styles. Should any order not be fulfilled by our warehouse upon packing due to items becoming out of stock, we will inform you of this as soon as possible. We will refund you for the out of stock item(s) upon packing and send the rest of your goods. We do not hold any orders and cannot cancel orders at this point of the process. Orders will be packed and shipped as usual in our normal processes and procedures. 

 

DELIVERY AND RETURNS

Shipping costs will be added where applicable. For shipping charges, please view the Heel Tread shipping charge table.

Exchanges and refunds

During 14 days following the delivery of your order, you may request the exchange or refund of items, which you must return to us in perfect condition accompanied by the original invoice. Returns will only be accepted if labels and original packaging are fully intact. Heel Tread cannot accept returns where labels have been removed. Products purchased on sale (discounted price) are not eligible for return or exchange. You are responsible for the shipping of returned items back to Heel Tread. Items lost in transportation will not be compensated for.

Shipping charges on returned merchandise are at the customer's expense. However, Heel Tread will not charge additional shipping on exchanges. All exchanges are subject to availability. Refunds for returned merchandise will be made within two weeks of the return of the product, to the original purchaser’s credit card or payment method. Note that additional duties and/or taxes will not be refunded. Neither will shipping costs, as mentioned above. For countries within the EU, VAT will be included in the refund.

Faulty items after review and conclusion of reflecting production issues, will be exchanged to the same type of product in the same size, subject to availability, or refunded. Refunds for faulty items can be made within the 14-day period following delivery. All products purchased during our final sale are not eligible for return or exchange. Exchanges and returns can only be made as described in Heel Tread’ instructions, which can be found in your confirmation e-mail.

Items cannot be exchanged or refunded at any stores.
All orders are fulfilled at our distribution center in Lousã (Portugal) usually within 1 business day (subject to card clearance and stock availability), sale periods may have an effect on order fulfilment times. We operate Monday to Friday and not on public holidays. When your order is placed we will send you a confirmation of the purchase. Once your package is shipped we will send you an email with final confirmation and instructions. Most orders are shipped standard mail. Depending on the intended ship-to location, orders can be subject to other shipping methods and the specific warehouse processing the order may utilize tracking. Applicable orders will have the tracking reference provided in the shipping confirmation email. Our appointed courier partners in each region deliver all orders. Uncollected items are subject to 20 USD, 15 EURO, 1500 JPY, 12GBP, 15 AUD, 20 CHF, 18 CAD, 150 SEK, 120 DKK or 150 NOK will be charged for uncollected items if the package is to be re-sent.

Incorrect contact details will be subject to an extra charge of 20 USD, 15 EURO, 1500 JPY, 12GBP, 15 AUD, 20 CHF, 18 CAD, 150 SEK, 120 DKK or 150 NOK will be charged for returned deliveries caused by entering incorrect or insufficient contact details. Orders to countries outside USA, JAPAN and EU may be subject to VAT, import duties and/or taxes, which are levied once your package reaches your country.

 

PAYMENT

We accept card payments by Visa, MasterCard, American Express, PayPal and several local payment options. Upon receiving your order we carry out a standard pre-authorization check on your payment card to ensure there are sufficient funds to fulfill the transaction. Goods will not be dispatched until this pre-authorization check has been completed. Your card will be debited once the order has been accepted.

 

DISCOUNT CODES (COUPON CODES)

Discount codes may from time to time be offered to account holders; such codes may only be applied to purchases made through the account in respect of which the discount code was offered and registered. We may from time to time offer promotional discount codes which may apply in respect of any, or certain specified, purchases made though this Website. Only one promotional discount code can be applied to an order. The conditions of use relating to any discount code will be specified at the time of issue.

 

GIFT VOUCHERS

Gift vouchers are only valid for a limited time and the voucher must be used by the date shown on the voucher – check your voucher to find out when to use it by. We can’t accept any responsibility for stolen or deleted gift vouchers. We will dispatch your gift voucher either as soon as payment has been cleared or on your specified delivery date (if this is later). We’re afraid we can’t be responsible for any delays, no matter how they are caused.If you are the purchaser, please double check the delivery email address you enter – it is your responsibility to do so and we’re afraid we can’t be held responsible if a gift voucher is used by someone other than your recipient if the email address entered is incorrect. In addition, we can not take responsibility for any gift vouchers that are lost or used by someone other than your recipient after delivery. Make sure your recipient has received their gift voucher, as it is their responsibility to keep the voucher details safe.If you need a refund, this will be made in the same way as the original payment method.

 

INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY

Unless otherwise noted, all materials, including, but not limited to, images, illustrations, designs, icons, photographs, video clips, and written and other materials that appear as part of the Site (collectively, the "Contents") are copyrights, trademarks, trade dress and/or other intellectual properties owned, controlled or licensed by Heel Tread. The Contents, and the Site as a whole, are intended solely for personal, non-commercial use by the users of the Site. You may download or copy the Contents and other downloadable materials displayed on the Site for your personal, non-commercial use only. No right, title or interest in any downloaded materials or software is transferred to you as a result of any such downloading or copying. You may not reproduce (except as noted above), publish, transmit, distribute, display, modify, create derivative works from, sell or participate in any sale of, or exploit in any way, in whole or in part, any of the Contents, the Site, or any related software. The Site as a whole is protected by copyright and trade dress and all worldwide rights, titles and interests in and to the Site are owned by Heel Tread.

 

PRIVACY

Our Privacy Policy describes the collection and use of information on the Site.

 

SITE TRANSACTIONS

We reserve the right to refuse any order you place with us. We may, in our sole discretion, limit or cancel quantities purchased per person, per household or per order, whether or not the order has been confirmed, for any or no reason, and without liability to you or anyone else. These restrictions may include orders placed by or under the same customer account, the same credit card, and/or orders that use the same billing and/or shipping address. In the event we make a change to or cancel an order, we will attempt to notify you by contacting the e-mail and/or billing address/phone number provided at the time the order was made. We reserve the right to limit or prohibit orders that, in our sole judgment, appear to be placed by dealers, resellers or distributors. If your payment method has already been charged for an order that is later cancelled, Heel Tread shall issue you a refund.

 

PRODUCT INFORMATION

Most Heel Tread products displayed on the Site are available in select stores around the world while supplies last. In some cases, all merchandise displayed on the Site may not be available for sale in stores.

 

COLOURS

We have made every effort to display as accurately as possible the colours of our products that appear on the Site. However, as the actual colours you see will depend on your monitor, we cannot guarantee that your monitor's display of any color will be accurate.

 

USER GENERATED CONTENT

  1. Generally

By posting, distributing, sending or displaying any comment, message (including email), data, information, text, music, sound, photos, graphics, or other content (the "User Generated Content") to the Site, you (A) grant, and represent and warrant that you have the right to grant, to Heel Tread a non-exclusive, royalty-free, perpetual, transferable, irrevocable, fully paid and sublicenseable right to use, reproduce, modify, adapt, translate, distribute, publish, create derivative works from, and publicly display and perform, the User Generated Content throughout the world; (B) grant Heel Tread and its affiliates and sublicensees the right to use the name that you submit in connection with such User Generated Content; and (C) represent and warrant that (i) you own and control all of the rights to the User Generated Content that you post or otherwise distribute, or you otherwise have the lawful right to post and distribute such User Generated Content to or through the Site; (ii) such User Generated Content is accurate and not misleading; and (iii) use and posting or other transmission of such User Generated Content does not violate these Conditions and will not violate any rights of, or cause injury to, any person or entity. You further grant Heel Tread the right to pursue at law any person or entity that violates your or Heel Tread’ rights in the User Generated Content by a breach of these Conditions.User Generated Content submitted by users is deemed non-confidential and Heel Tread is under no obligation to treat such User Generated Content as proprietary information. Without limiting the foregoing, Heel Tread reserves the right to use the User Generated Content as it deems appropriate, including, without limitation, deleting, editing, modifying, rejecting, or refusing to post it. Heel Tread is under no obligation to offer you any payment for User Generated Content or to attribute authorship of User Generated Content to you. If, nonetheless, it is determined that you retain moral rights (including rights of attribution or integrity) in the User Generated Content, you hereby agree that (A) you do not require that any personally identifying information be used in connection with the User Generated Content, or any derivative works of, or upgrades or updates thereto; (B) you do not oppose the publication, use, modification, deletion and exploitation of the User Generated Content by Heel Tread or its agents; (C) you waive and will not claim or assert any entitlement to any moral rights of an author in any of the User Generated Content; and (D) you release Heel Tread from any claims that you could otherwise assert against Heel Tread by virtue of any moral rights.

  1. Use of Chat Rooms, Bulletin Boards and Other Interactive Areas

The Site may contain forums, blogs, bulletin boards or other interactive areas in which you or third parties may post content, messages, materials or other items on the Site (the "Interactive Areas"). If Heel Tread provides such Interactive Areas, you are solely responsible for your use of such Interactive Areas and use them at your own risk. By way of example, and not as a limitation, you agree that when using any of the Interactive Areas, you will not post, upload, transmit, distribute, store, create or otherwise publish any of the following:

  1. Material that is sexually explicit, violent, derogatory, unlawful, libelous, defamatory, obscene, pornographic, indecent, lewd, harassing, threatening, an invasion of another individual’s privacy or publicity rights, abusive, inflammatory, fraudulent or otherwise objectionable;
  2. Material that promotes illegal drug use, tobacco or firearms use;
  3. Material that constitutes, encourages or provides instructions for a criminal offense, violates the rights of any individual or group, or that otherwise creates liability or violates any local, state, national or international law;
  4. Material that may infringe any patent, trademark, trade secret, copyright or other intellectual or proprietary right of any party;
  5. Material that uses the names or likenesses of persons living or dead without their permission or that impersonates any person or entity or otherwise misrepresents your affiliation with a person or entity;
  6. Unsolicited advertising or links to other commercial sites;
  7. Names, addresses, phone numbers, email addresses, Social Security numbers, credit card numbers or other personally identifiable information of you or someone else;
  8. Viruses, corrupted data or other harmful, disruptive or destructive files;
  9. Material that is unrelated to the topic of the Interactive Area(s) in which such material is posted;
  10. Material that communicates messages inconsistent with the positive good will of Heel Tread;or
  11. Material that, in the sole judgment of Heel Tread, is objectionable, or which may expose Heel Tread or its users to any harm.

Heel Tread takes no responsibility and assumes no liability for any User Generated Content posted, stored or uploaded by you or any third party, or for any loss or damage thereto, nor is Heel Tread liable for any mistakes, defamation, slander, libel, omissions, falsehoods, obscenity, pornography or profanity you may encounter. As a provider of the Interactive Areas, Heel Tread is not liable for any statements, representations or User Generated Content provided by its users on this Site. Although Heel Tread has no obligation to screen, edit or monitor any of the User Generated Content posted to or distributed through any Interactive Area, Heel Tread reserves the right, and has sole discretion, to remove without notice any User Generated Content posted or stored on the Site. Any use of the Site, including the Interactive Areas, in violation of these Conditions may result in termination or suspension of your permission to use the Site.

  1. Comments and Submissions

Anything that you submit or post to the Site and/or provide Heel Tread, including, without limitation, comments, feedback, suggestions, reviews, ideas and questions (collectively, "Comments") is and will be treated as nonconfidential and nonproprietary, and Heel Tread shall have the royalty-free, worldwide, perpetual, irrevocable and transferable right to use, copy, distribute, display, publish, perform, sell, lease, transmit, adapt, create derivative works from such Comments by any means and in any form, and to translate, modify, reverse-engineer, disassemble, or decompile such Comments. All Comments shall automatically become the sole and exclusive property of Heel Tread and shall not be returned to you. Heel Tread is and shall be under no obligation (A) to pay any compensation for any Comments and (B) to respond to any Comments. You agree that no Comments submitted by you to the Site will violate any right of any third party, including, but not limited to, copyright, trademark, privacy or other personal or proprietary right(s). You further agree that no Comments submitted by you to the Site will be or contain libelous or otherwise unlawful, abusive or obscene material. You are and shall remain solely responsible for the content of any Comments you make. You agree that Heel Tread may use and/or disclose information consistent with our Privacy Policy.

 

COPYRIGHT COMPLAINT POLICY-INFRINGEMENT NOTIFICATION

If you believe in good faith that materials hosted by us infringe your copyright, please provide the written information requested below. The procedure outlined below is exclusively for notifying Heel Tread that your copyrighted material has been infringed. Please provide the following information in the following order (including Section Numbers):

  1. A clear identification of the copyrighted work you claim was infringed.
  2. A clear identification of the material you claim is infringing the copyrighted work, and information that will allow us to locate that material on the Site, such as a link to the infringing material.
  3. Your contact information so that we can reply to your complaint, preferably including an email address and telephone number.
  4. Include the following statement: "I have a good faith belief that the material that is claimed as copyright infringement is not authorized by the copyright owner, its agent, or the law."
  5. Include the following statement: "I swear, under penalty of perjury, that the information in the notification is accurate and I am the copyright owner, or am authorized to act on behalf of the owner, of an exclusive right that is allegedly infringed."
  6. The notice must be signed by the person authorized to act on behalf of the owner of an exclusive right that is allegedly infringed.

Notices of claims of copyright infringement on the Site should be emailed or mailed to:

Heel Tread Lda.

Rua Latino Coelho 87

1050-134 Lisboa Portugal

or  info@HeelTread.com

We suggest that you consult your legal advisor before filing a notice or counter-notice.  Also, please note that you may be liable for damages (including, but not limited to, costs and attorneys fees) if you make a false claim of copyright infringement. We will review and address all notices that comply with the requirements above.

 

REPEAT INFRINGER POLICY

In accordance with the Digital Millennium Copyright Act and other applicable law, Heel Tread has adopted a policy of terminating, in appropriate circumstances and at Heel Tread’ sole discretion, subscribers or account holders who are deemed to be repeat copyright infringers. Heel Tread may also at its sole discretion limit access to the Site and/or terminate the accounts of any users who infringe any intellectual property rights of others, whether or not there is any repeat infringement.

 

INDEMNIFICATION

You agree to defend, indemnify and hold harmless Heel Tread, its officers, directors, employees, agents, licensors and suppliers from and against any and all claims, charges, complaints, damages, losses, liabilities, costs and expenses (including attorneys' fees), arising from or relating in any way to your use of the Site.

 

CHOICE OF LAW

These Conditions shall be construed in accordance with the laws of Portugal, without regard to any conflict of law provisions. Any dispute arising under these Conditions shall be resolved exclusively by the country of Portugal.

For EU countries, an eventual conflict between seller and buyer could be resolved with the EU website Online Dispute Resolution (ODR). More information on rules for your country are specified here:

https://webgate.ec.europa.eu/odr/main/index.cfm?event=main.home.chooseLanguage

LINKS TO OTHER WEBSITES

This Site may contain links to outside services and resources. You acknowledge that (A) Heel Tread is not responsible for the contents of any linked site or any link contained in a linked site, or any changes or updates to such sites; and (B) Heel Tread is not responsible for any other form of transmission received from any linked site. Heel Tread is providing these links to you only as a convenience, and the inclusion of any link does not imply endorsement by Heel Tread of the site. Any concerns regarding any such link should be directed to the particular third party website.

 

MERCHANT AND ADVERTISEMENT DISCLAIMER

You may have access to certain third party product or service providers (“Merchants”) from which Heel Tread products and gift vouchers are advertised or available for purchase. You acknowledge that Heel Tread does not operate or control the products or services offered by Merchants. Merchants are responsible for all aspects of order processing, fulfillment, billing and customer service. You agree that use of or purchase from such Merchants is without warranties of any kind by Heel Tread. Heel Tread is not a party to the transactions between you and Merchants and Heel Tread is not liable for any damages arising from the transactions between you and merchants or for any information appearing on merchant websites. All rules, legal documents including privacy policies and operating procedures of Merchants will apply to you while on any Merchant websites.

 

TERMINATION

These Conditions are effective unless and until terminated by either you or Heel Tread. You may terminate these Conditions at any time. Heel Tread also may terminate these Conditions at any time and may do so immediately without notice, and accordingly deny you access to the Site, if in Heel Tread’ sole discretion you fail to comply with any term or provision of these Conditions. The Conditions relating to Intellectual Property, Indemnification, Disclaimer, Limitation of Liability and Choice of Law shall survive any termination.

 

DISCLAIMER

This site and the materials and products on this site are provided "as is" and without warranties of any kind. To the fullest extent permitted by law, Heel Tread disclaims all warranties, express or implied, including, but not limited to, implied warranties of merchantability and fitness for a particular purpose and non-infringement. Heel Tread does not represent or warrant that this site will be uninterrupted or error-free, that any defects will be corrected, or that this site or the server that makes the site available are free of viruses or anything else harmful. Heel Tread does not make any warrantees or representations regarding the use of the materials in this site in terms of their correctness, accuracy, adequacy, usefulness, reliability or otherwise. Heel Tread reserves the right to correct any errors, inaccuracies or omissions and to change or update information at any time without prior notice (including after you have submitted your order). We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause you. Some states do not permit limitations or exclusions on warranties, so the above limitations may not apply to you.

 

LIMITATION OF LIABILITY

In no event shall Heel Tread or any of its affiliated entities or suppliers be liable for any indirect, special, punitive, incidental, exemplary or consequential damages that result from (a) the use of, or inability to use, the site; (b) the performance of the services, products and materials available from the site; or (c) the conduct of other users of the site, even if Heel Tread has been advised of the possibility of such damages. You assume total responsibility for your use of the site. Your only remedy against Heel Tread for dissatisfaction with the site or any content is to stop using the site.

 

MISCELLANEOUS

Unless otherwise specified and except to the extent Heel Tread products are offered for sale in the select foreign markets through this Site, this Site and the Contents thereof are displayed solely for the purpose of promoting Heel Tread products and services available in the select foreign markets. This Site is controlled and operated by Heel Tread from its office in Lisbon, Portugal. These Conditions including, without limitation, any other Conditions that may appear on the Site from time-to-time contain the full understanding with respect to your use and access of the Site and supersede all prior agreements, terms, conditions and understandings, both written and oral, with respect to such use and access of the Site. If any portion of these Conditions is held to be invalid or unenforceable, the invalid or unenforceable portion shall be modified in accordance with the applicable law as nearly as possible to reflect the original intention of the applicable provision, and the remainder of these Conditions shall remain in full force and effect. A printed version of these Conditions and of any notices given to you in electronic form shall be admissible in judicial or administrative proceedings based upon or relating to these Conditions to the same extent and subject to the same conditions as other business documents and records originally generated and maintained in printed form. The failure of Heel Tread to insist upon or enforce strict performance by you of any provision of these Conditions shall not be construed as a waiver of any provision or right. Use of the Site is unauthorized in any jurisdiction that does not give effect to all provisions of these Conditions. We may provide notice to you relating to the Site and/or these terms and conditions by sending an e-mail to your last known e-mail address, and any such notice shall be deemed given and received on the day it is sent. You agree that any cause of action that you may desire to bring arising out of or related to these Conditions and/or the Site must commence within one (1) year after the cause of action arises; otherwise, such cause of action shall be permanently barred. You may not use the Site or export the Content in violation of laws and regulations. If you access the Site from a location outside the Portugal, you are responsible for compliance with all local laws.

 

FOR PORTUGUESE CLIENTS ONLY:

Resolução Alternativa de Litígios de Consumo

A Lei nº 144/2015 de 08 de setembro, veio transpor a Diretiva 2013/EU, do Parlamento Europeu e do Conselho, de 21 de maio de 2013, sobre a resolução alternativa de litígios de consumo.

O referido diploma estabelece o enquadramento jurídico dos mecanismos de Resolução Alternativa de Litígios de Consumo, criando em Portugal a Rede de Arbitragem de Consumo.

  1. O que são litígios de consumo?

São litígios iniciados por um consumidor contra um fornecedor de bens ou prestador de serviços, que respeitem a obrigações contratuais resultantes de contratos de compra e venda ou de prestação de serviços, celebrados entre fornecedor de bens ou prestador de serviços estabelecidos e consumidores residentes em Portugal e na União Europeia (artigo 2º nº 1 da Lei nº 144/2015.

  1. O que é a RAL?

A RAL são mecanismos à disposição dos consumidores e das empresas para tentar resolver os litígios de consumo fora dos tribunais, de uma forma mais célere e pouco dispendiosa. A RAL abrange a mediação, a conciliação e a arbitragem. O processo de RAL inicia-se com uma tentativa de acordo por via da mediação ou da conciliação. No entanto, caso esse acordo não seja alcançado, os intervenientes podem ainda recorrer ao Tribunal Arbitral, através de um processo simples e rápido.

  1. O que são entidades RAL?

São entidades independentes, com pessoal especializado, que de modo imparcial, ajudam o consumidor e a empresa a chegar a uma solução amigável. Estas entidades estão autorizadas a efetuar a mediação, conciliação e arbitragem de litígios de consumo. As referidas entidades têm de estar inscritas na lista prevista no artigo 17º da Lei nº 144/2015.

  1. Quem é responsável pela gestão da lista de entidades RAL?

A Direcção-Geral do Consumidor é a autoridade nacional competente para organizar a inscrição e divulgação da lista de entidades RAL ( ver ANEXO I).

  1. Quantas entidades RAL existem em Portugal?

Em Portugal, existem dez Centros de Arbitragem de Conflitos de Consumo. Sendo que, sete são de competência genérica e de âmbito regional, encontrando-se localizados em, Lisboa, Porto, Coimbra, Guimarães, Braga/Viana do Castelo, Algarve e Madeira. Existe também o centro de âmbito territorial nacional (supletivo), o CNIACC - Centro Nacional de Informação e Arbitragem de Conflitos de Consumo. Existem ainda dois centros de competência específica especializados no setor automóvel e no setor dos seguros.

  1. Como é que uma empresa sabe qual é a entidade RAL que deve indicar aos seus consumidores?

O local da celebração do contrato de compra e venda de um bem ou da prestação de serviços, que em regra coincide com o local do estabelecimento, determina o centro de arbitragem competente.

Exemplificando:

  • Uma empresa que tem apenas um ou mais estabelecimentos comerciais num determinado concelho, deverá indicar apenas a entidade RAL que tem competência para dirimir conflitos nesse concelho.
  • Uma empresa que exerça a sua atividade em todo o território nacional, deverá indicar todas a entidades competentes.
  • Uma oficina reparadora de veículos, uma empresa seguradora ou uma agência de viagens, devem indicar as entidades especializadas para esses sectores.
  1. Quem está obrigado a informar os consumidores sobre as entidades RAL?

Todos os fornecedores de bens e prestadores de serviços, incluindo aqueles que só vendem produtos ou prestam serviços através da Internet, estão obrigados a informar os consumidores sobre as entidades RAL disponíveis ou às que aderiram voluntariamente ou a que se encontram vinculados por força da lei. Só estão excluídos os prestadores de Serviços de Interesse Geral sem contrapartida económica tais como, os serviços sociais prestados pelo estado ou em seu nome, os serviços de saúde e os serviços públicos de ensino complementar ou Superior.

As obrigações que decorrem da Lei nº 144/2015 aplicam-se, com as devidas adaptações, a todos os setores económicos não excluídos pela referida lei, incluindo aqueles em que exista já legislação específica que preveja idêntica obrigação.

  1. Existe alguma imposição de adesão a uma entidade RAL?

A presente lei não impõe a adesão a qualquer entidade RAL, estabelecendo apenas um dever de informação sobre as entidades existentes. Mas, existe é o caso da arbitragem necessária para os serviços públicos essenciais, como por exemplo para a eletricidade, gás, água e resíduos, comunicações eletrónicas e serviços postais.

  1. Como é que as empresas devem prestar essas informações?

Estas informações devem ser prestadas de forma clara, compreensível e adequada ao tipo de bem e serviço que é vendido ou prestado (artigo 18º nº 2 da Lei nº 144/2015). Assim:

  • No sítio eletrónico dos fornecedores de bens ou prestadores de serviços, caso exista.
  • Nos contratos de compra e venda ou de prestação de serviços entre o fornecedor de bens ou prestador de serviços e o consumidor, quando estes assumam forma escrita ou constituam contratos de adesão.
  • Não existindo forma escrita, a informação deve ser prestada num outro suporte duradouro, nomeadamente num letreiro afixado na parede ou aposto no balcão de venda ou na fatura entregue ao consumidor.
  1. A lei prevê algum modelo padronizado de informação a prestar aos consumidores?

Não. No entanto, segue em anexo uma proposta de formulação de um letreiro (Anexo II).

  1. Quem é responsável pela fiscalização do cumprimento da obrigação de informação a prestar aos consumidores?

Cabe à Autoridade de Segurança Alimentar e Económica e aos reguladores sectoriaisnos respetivos domínios, a fiscalização do cumprimento destes deveres, a instrução dos respetivos processos de contraordenação e a decisão desses processos, incluindo a aplicação das coimas e sanções acessórias se necessário.

  1. Qual a consequência do não cumprimento do dever de informação a prestar aos consumidores?

O incumprimento do dever de informação dos fornecedores de bens ou prestadores de serviços constitui contraordenação, punível com:

  • Coima entre € 500 e € 5000, quando cometidas por uma pessoa singular.
  • Coima entre € 5000 e € 25 000, quando cometidas por uma pessoa coletiva.
  1. Quando se aplica este novo regime?

A Lei nº 144/2015 de 8 de setembro, entrou em vigor a 23 de Setembro de 2015, sendo que os fornecedores de bens ou prestadores de serviços dispunham de 6 meses, contados a partir dessa data, para se adaptarem a este novo regime. Desta forma, desde 23 de Março de 2016 as empresas devem ter esta informação disponível para os seus consumidores.

ATENÇÃO: A informação dos consumidores sobre as entidades RAL disponíveis não dispensa os fornecedores de bens e prestadores de serviços de facultarem aos consumidores o Livro de Reclamações, obrigatório nos termos do Decreto-Lei nº 156/2005, de 15 de setembro.

Lista de Entidades Anexo 1