Every business that sells to individuals must guarantee consumers effective access to a consumer mediator and give them the mediator's contact details. This is an obligation under the Code de la consommation (French Consumer Code), in force since 1 July 2016. It can be checked on a website in a few seconds: just look for the mediator's name.
It applies to an online shop, a craftsperson, a service provider, as soon as the customer is a consumer. It requires no investment and no redesign, only that you have actually done it.
What the law says
The consumer's right. Article L612-1 of the Code de la consommation establishes that every consumer has the right to use a consumer mediator, free of charge, to settle a dispute with a business amicably.
The business's obligation. You must guarantee this access. You can set up your own mediation scheme, or offer the consumer the option of using any other mediator that meets the requirements of the Code. Where a mediator exists for your sector, you must give consumers access to them.
Information. Article L616-1 requires you to give consumers the contact details of the mediator or mediators you fall under. The same article provides that you must give them again when a dispute could not be resolved through a complaint sent directly to the business.
Where to display it
Article R616-1 specifies how. The contact details must appear in a visible and legible way on the website, on the general terms of sale or service, and on order forms, and where no such documents exist, by any other appropriate means. The address of the mediator's website must also be included.
A mention buried on the last page of the general terms, in tiny print, is exactly what “visible and legible” is meant to rule out. The website footer, with a link to a dedicated page, is where a customer will look for it.
What it changes for the customer
Mediation is a step before going to court, not an alternative to your customer service. The mediator will not examine a case unless the consumer can show they first tried to resolve the dispute directly with you through a written complaint. They can also reject a request that is manifestly unfounded or abusive, or submitted more than a year after that written complaint (article L612-2).
In other words, a complaint handled seriously from the start remains your best protection: a good share of disputes should never reach the mediator.
What forgetting it can cost
Failing to meet these information obligations is punishable by an administrative fine of up to €3,000 for an individual and up to €15,000 for a company (article L641-1).
Four checks to run on your side
Do you have a mediator? If not, the list of approved mediators is maintained by the public authorities, and several sectors have their own. You sign up with the mediator you choose, under their own terms.
Do their name and website appear on your site? A dedicated page, linked from the footer, with the mediator's name, postal address and website address.
Are they repeated in your general terms and on your order forms? The law covers every medium, not just one.
Do you know what to reply to an unhappy customer? A template reply to a complaint that, if the dispute continues, reminds the customer of the mediator's contact details.
The right reflex
This is one of those obligations you only notice on the day of an inspection. You settle it once, and it fits in a single line in your footer.
Responsibility for compliance remains with the business: this article is for information and does not replace a lawyer's advice on a specific situation.
Sources: articles L612-1, L612-2, L616-1, L616-2, L641-1 and R616-1 of the Code de la consommation, consulted on Légifrance on 6 October 2026; practical guide from the DGCCRF (the French consumer protection authority) on consumer mediation, consulted on 6 October 2026.
