Step 1: intervention of the personal assistance helpdesk

The consumer and the professional must first try to reach an amicable agreement. This step proceeds in an informal manner, simply by an exchange of mail, fax, emails or by telephone. To contact the professional, you can use the European complaint form, designed by the European Commission. Send it to the sales representative with whom you are in dispute. If this form addressed to the sales representative does not give a fast result (for example within 15 days), then if you are a member of one of five participating associations, send a copy together with your complaint to the personal assistance helpdesk of your country.

The personal assistance helpdesk of the consumers association of the home country of the consumer can provide you with information as a consumer and can contact the sales representative or the promoter in order to find an agreement. If the company is located in another country than that of the consumer, the helpdesk can ask the OTE to intervene directly with the professional, even if the professional is not a member of the OTE. In such a case, it is desirable to add to your file a summary of your complaint in English. The helpdesk can also contact the company via the helpdesk of the country (Spain, for example) in which the timesharing company is established.