Arbitration body

Arbitration procedure at the Office for Communications in its capacity as the competent arbitration body pursuant to Art. 36 Postal Services and Parcel Delivery Services Act in conjunction with Art. 24 et seqq. Ordinance on Tasks and Competences of the Regulator in the Postal Sector

Responsibility

The Office for Communications may be called upon as an arbitration body under postal legislation pursuant to Art. 36 of the Act of 2 March 2023 on Postal Services and Parcel Delivery Services (Liechtenstein Law Gazette 2023 No. 151). The Office for Communications is neutral and independent in this capacity.

Contact 

Amt für Kommunikation
Postfach 684
9490 Vaduz
info.ak@llv.li

Legal requirements

Postal Services and Parcel Delivery Services Act, and Ordinance on the Tasks and Competences of the Regulator in the Postal Sector.

Information on the arbitration body

Postal service providers are required by law to set up an easily accessible, simple, transparent and inexpensive complaints procedure for handling complaints from users, in particular in cases of loss, theft or damage to postal items, as well as violations of quality standards. (cf. Art. 6 para. 1 let. b and c of Postal Services and Parcel Delivery Services Act).

Under postal legislation, the arbitration body offers an arbitration procedure at the written request of a party to resolve, out of court, problems between postal service providers and a party that could not be resolved satisfactorily by the parties in question. In doing so, the arbitration body acts neutrally and assists both parties in reaching an agreement.  

The arbitration body is not a consumer protection institution. Therefore, we cannot offer legal advice to consumers, file lawsuits, or represent them against postal service providers or in court. The arbitration body at the Office of Economic Affairs is responsible for consumer matters (cf. Alternative Dispute Resolution Act). 

Arbitration team

Office for Communications

Arbitration procedure (guidelines on arbitration)

For information on the procedure, please click here (in German).

General

The following points must be considered in order to initiate arbitration:

• One of the two parties is a registered "postal service provider" within the meaning of Art. 3 para. 1 let. k in conjunction with Art. 5 para. 1 of the Postal Services and Parcel Delivery Services Act. "Postal service providers" are companies that provide one or more postal services. This includes services related to the collection, sorting, transport and delivery of postal items. A "postal item" is an addressed item in the final form in which it is accepted by a postal service provider. In addition to letter mail, this includes, for example, books, catalogues, newspapers and magazines, as well as parcels containing goods with or without commercial value.
• A resolution attempt must precede the application to initiate arbitration. Complainants must therefore have first tried themselves to find a solution with the postal service provider in writing (e.g. letter, fax, e-mail, web form on the postal service provider's website). A written complaint (e.g. in case of loss, damage, miscarriage, delay of a postal item, contractual difficulties, poor performance) must be submitted to the postal service provider to this end.
• If the complainant does not agree with the postal service provider's written response to the complaint, the complainant can submit a reasoned and complete application for arbitration (see "contents of arbitration application) to the arbitration body within a period of one year from the date on which the complaint was raised with the postal service provider.
• If no written response to the complaint is received from the postal service provider within four weeks, the request for arbitration may be submitted directly.
• All details in the arbitration application must be complete and truthfully presented in a comprehensible manner.
• Complainants can also appoint a representative for arbitration procedures. The arbitration body may require written confirmation of the granted power of attorney.