How can the Ombudsman be informed of the consumption of the universal postal service provider (formerly La Poste)?

Verified 01 January 2026 - Public Service / Directorate of Legal and Administrative Information (Prime Minister)

If you have a dispute about the products or services of universal postal service provider (formerly La Poste), you can contact Mediator of consumption to find an amicable solution. Do you want to know the conditions for entering it, whether you must have made a complaint to the service concerned beforehand or whether it is free? We present you the information to know.

It is a method of amicable resolution of disputes, that is to say without the intervention of the judge.

The objective of mediation is to try to establish a dialog between the parties so that they themselves can reach an agreement.

You can contact the Consumer Ombudsman for any national individual consumer dispute or cross-border on the offer of products or services the universal postal service provider (mail and parcels, postal bank, Chronopost).

If the dispute concerns a telephony offer marketed by the universal postal service provider, you must enter the electronic communications ombudsman.

Warning  

You may not refer the matter to the Consumer Ombudsman if you have not previously attempted to resolve the dispute by a written complaint addressed and dated to the universal postal service provider.

You cannot enter the Ombudsman of consumption if you are in one of the following 4 cases :

  • The referral or the dispute are manifestly unfounded or abusive in form or substance
  • The dispute has been or is, at the time of referral, being examined by another Ombudsman or a court
  • The consumer has referred the matter to the Consumer Ombudsman within a period of more than one year from the date of his first written complaint to the service concerned
  • The dispute does not fall within the remit of the Consumer Ombudsman.

Failure of the universal postal service provider to reply after a 2 months after the filing of the complaint allows the referral of the Consumer Ombudsman.

Please note

You must refer the matter to the Ombudsman maximum 1 year after your claim.

Before contacting the Consumer Ombudsman, you must mandatory try to resolve your dispute with the relevant complaints services of the universal postal service provider.

FYI  

Some services provide for a double level of examination of your file. These include, for example, mail and parcel disputes (excluding Chronopost and DPD disputes).

You can contact the Consumer Ombudsman by yourself or through another person (third party, lawyer, consumer association).

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By yourself

You can contact the Consumer Ombudsman for 2 ways :

Online

The online filing of the file includes several steps :

Step 1 : Accept that your personal data will be used for the processing of your request.

Step 2 : Indicate which professional is concerned, the dispute and the damage suffered.

Step 3 : Indicate that you are acting on your own behalf (and not through another person).

Step 4 : Indicate the steps you have taken (complaint, appeal) justifying by the existence of these preliminary steps (letters sent or responses received).

Step 5 : Indicate your expectations of the Consumer Ombudsman. Proof of litigation and damages must also be provided.

Step 6 : Validate the request.

At the end of the process, a summary is sent to you.

You can contact the Consumer Ombudsman using this online procedure:

Contact the Consumer Ombudsman of the universal postal service provider online

By post

You can contact the Consumer Ombudsman by post.

You must indicate in the mail the following items :

  • Surname, first names, quality, mailing address, telephone number and e-mail address
  • The statement of your disagreement with the universal postal service provider specifying the product or service concerned by the dispute
  • The circumstances in which the facts giving rise to the dispute occurred
  • What you are asking the Consumer Ombudsman
  • The arguments in favor of your request.

You must also attach to your mail :

  • Copy of the documents justifying the submission of a first written complaint, with, if possible, a copy of the reply of the universal postal service provider
  • Any evidence in support of your claim (for example, physical evidence such as photos).

Warning  

You must pay shipping costs.

Through another person

It is possible to refer the matter to the Ombudsman for the consumption of 2 ways :

Online

You can have someone do this for you. It may be, for example, a third party, of a lawyer or a consumer association.

Who shall I contact
Who shall I contact

The online filing of the file includes several steps :

Step 1 : Accept that personal data is used for the processing of the request.

Step 2 : Indicate which professional is concerned, the dispute and the damage suffered.

Step 3 : Indicate that you are acting on behalf of another person by attaching the corresponding proof.

Step 4 : Indicate the steps taken (complaint, appeal), justifying by the existence of these preliminary steps (letters sent or replies received).

Step 5 : Indicate expectations of the Consumer Ombudsman. Proof of litigation and damages must also be provided.

Step 6 : Validate the request.

At the end of the process, a summary is sent.

The referral The Consumer Ombudsman's Office uses this online approach:

Contact the Consumer Ombudsman of the universal postal service provider online

By post

You can contact the Consumer Ombudsman on behalf of another person by post.

The mail must contain the following items :

  • Surname, first names, quality, mailing address, telephone number and e-mail address of the person you represent
  • The statement of disagreement with the universal postal service provider specifying the product or service concerned by the dispute
  • The circumstances in which the facts giving rise to the dispute occurred
  • What you are asking the Consumer Ombudsman
  • The arguments in favor of your request.

You must also attach to your mail :

  • Copy of the documents justifying the submission of a first written complaint, with, if possible, a copy of the reply of the universal postal service provider
  • Proof of the mandate you have to represent the person (lawyers and consumer associations are exempt)
  • Copy of the identity document of the person you represent (lawyers and consumer associations are exempt)
  • Any evidence in support of your claim (for example, physical evidence such as photos).

Warning  

You must pay shipping costs.

In principleYes, the use of the Consumer Ombudsman is free for the consumer. The universal postal service provider bears the cost.

In practice, if you choose to refer the matter to the Consumer Ombudsman by post, you must pay shipping costs.

If you want to use a lawyer or expert (which is not mandatory), you must pay his fees.

There is 5 steps.

1Examination of the admissibility of the application by the Consumer Ombudsman

The Consumer Ombudsman first examines whether the case is admissible or not, i.e. whether it is necessary to initiate or not a mediation procedure.

If you have any of the following, your folder is inadmissible :

  • No evidence that you attempted to resolve the dispute by a written claim beforehand
  • The referral or the dispute are manifestly unfounded or abusive in form or substance
  • The dispute has been or is, at the time of referral, being examined by another Ombudsman or a court
  • The consumer has referred the matter to the Consumer Ombudsman within a period of more than one year from the date of his first written complaint lodged with the trader
  • The dispute does not fall within the remit of the Consumer Ombudsman.

Then the procedure varies depending on whether your file has been declared admissible or not.

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Inadmissible file

The Consumer Ombudsman informs you of the rejection of your request in a delay of 3 weeks from the date of receipt thereof.

Reasons shall be given for the rejection decision.

Admissible file

The Consumer Ombudsman informs you of the admissibility of your request in a delay of 3 weeks from the date of receipt thereof.

Mediation begins on the date of notification of admissibility.

The Ombudsman informs you (and the other part) the following elements in the notification:

  • Taking care of your request
  • The right to withdraw from the process at any time
  • Suspension of the course of prescription.

Warning  

An admissibility decision can be overturned during mediation if a ground for inadmissibility is found during the course of the case (for example, you initially presented yourself as a party to the dispute, but you were not).

The mediation is then considered not to have been carried out.

2Investigation of the case by the Consumer Ombudsman

The Ombudsman examines the case, taking into account the positions and arguments of each party, in order to propose a solution to the dispute.

The Ombudsman invites the parties to provide him with any additional documents he considers necessary as soon as possible.

If he considers it useful, the Ombudsman may, subject to respect for the anonymity of the persons and respect for business secrecy, communicate to the parties the elements included in the file for each of them.

3Proposal for a solution by the Consumer Ombudsman

The Ombudsman shall formulate his proposal for a solution in a 3 months delay from the notification of the referral.

FYI  

The period may exceptionally be extended either at the request of the Ombudsman or at the request of one of the parties. In all cases, the Ombudsman shall immediately inform the parties.

The proposed solution may be favorable, partially favorable or unfavorable.

The Ombudsman shall communicate his proposal to the parties by post or electronic. It states:

  • The ability of the parties to accept or refuse the solution provided
  • The terms of acceptance or refusal, which must be exercised no later than 2 weeks after the issue of the proposed solution
  • The possibility of bringing the dispute before a court
  • The fact that the proposal for an amicable settlement may be different from the decision of a court ruling strictly in law.

4Reflection of the parties

The parties have a 2-week delay from the date on the proposed solution to accept or refuse his application.

Without return within this period, the proposed solution will be considered as accepted by the parties.

FYI  

If one of the parties wishes to refuse the proposal, it must send the form sent to them by post or by electronic means to the Ombudsman, together with the proposal for a solution formulated by the Ombudsman.

5Acceptance or rejection of the proposed solution

The parties are free to accept or refuse the solution proposed by the Consumer Ombudsman.

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In case of acceptance

If the parties accept the proposed solution, the mediation is closed.

The parties undertake to implement the Ombudsman's proposal.

If the solution is effectively implemented, the parties will no longer be able to take legal action unless new elements are added to the file.

Warning  

The proposed solution is not binding, i.e. the agreement is based on the willingness of the parties to comply with the solution they have accepted. In order for the agreement to be enforced, the parties must apply to the court for it the approval.

Who shall I contact

In case of refusal

In case of refusal by one of the two parties, the mediation is closed.

To decide the dispute, one of the parties may appeal to the judicial judge.

Who shall I contact

No. The proposed solution cannot be appealed, as it is not binding.

Who can help me?

Find who can answer your questions in your region

  • 0809 540 550 DGCCRF - ConsoResponse

    Are you having a problem following a purchase? Do you have a question about a point of law before buying or ordering?

    You can get an answer from an agent of the DGCCRF: titleContent by calling the 0809,540,550.

    Opening hours of the service:

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    • Monday and Tuesday: from 8.30am to 12.30pm and from 1.15pm to 5.15pm
    • Wednesday: from 1:15 pm to 5:15 pm
    • Thursday: from 8:30 to 12:30
    • Friday: from 8:30 am to 4 pm