In
Spain, there is a procedure which is particularly suitable for matters of small quantities
of money. There are some Autonomous Communities or Town Councils who have created regional
and/or municipal Consumer Arbitration Boards to deal with the problems which arise between
a consumer and a company with residence in the same municipality. The arbitration board
consists of a president (named by the Administration) and of both sides (businessman and
consumer). The latter must be represented by a Consumer Organisation. The procedure is
fast (maximum 4 months) and generally free of charge. The decision is binding for both
sides and cannot be appealed against in the Law Courts. The main problem with this
procedure, and the reason for which it has not quite prospered, is that it is voluntary;
that is, if the company does not wish to submit itself to it, there is no other
alternative for recovering the money than to resort to a legal procedure.
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