Every case runs through five stages. We work to fixed deadlines, so a counterparty that stays silent runs into them on its own.
We do not hold discussions about whether a consumer is right. We establish what the law requires, put that to the counterparty in writing, and attach a deadline to it. That is the whole model. It works because most retailers know perfectly well that they owe something, and only get away with it for as long as nobody demands it.
The consumer submits the case with the order confirmation, proof of payment and the correspondence with the retailer. Within one business day we assess whether there is a legal basis and whether the claim is due and payable. If there is no basis, we do not take the case and we say so immediately. We do not keep hopeless files open.
We determine the amount, the legal basis and the moment default arose. Where a statutory deadline applies, such as the fourteen days under article 6:230r(1) of the Dutch Civil Code, default arises by operation of law and no notice of default is required. In other cases we first set a reasonable deadline, as article 7:19a(1) requires.
The counterparty receives a notice of default setting out the facts, the legal basis, the amount claimed and a fourteen-day deadline. The letter goes to every traceable address of the business, including the address for legal matters, customer services and the address in the commercial register. A specimen demand letter is published on this site.
If the deadline passes without payment or a substantiated defence, we escalate. Which route we take depends on the counterparty: a trustmark holder is reported to its trustmark, a business with a Dutch establishment faces the disputes board or the subdistrict court, and with a foreign party we use the channels that work in that country. See international recovery.
If the counterparty pays, the sum comes into our account. We retain ten per cent and transfer the remainder to the client. It costs you nothing. Anything we recover in damages goes to the client in full. See fees.
| Stage | Deadline | What happens then |
|---|---|---|
| After intake | 1 business day | We confirm whether we take the case. |
| After acceptance | 2 business days | The demand letter goes out. |
| After the demand | 14 days | Time for the counterparty to pay or respond. |
| After expiry | 5 business days | We determine the escalation route and carry it out. |
| After receipt | 5 business days | Payout to the client. |
We can only claim what we can prove. In practice that means three things. The client supplies the order confirmation and proof of payment. The client forwards whatever the retailer writes, including anything unfavourable. And after submitting the case the client stops negotiating with the counterparty directly, because two parallel channels undermine your own position.
We never act against consumers and we accept no collection instructions from businesses. We claim exclusively for the consumer. We are legal professionals, not admitted attorneys, which means we do not act in matters where representation by an admitted attorney is mandatory. For subdistrict court matters, which covers virtually every consumer dispute, it is not required.
Submit the case with your order confirmation and proof of payment. We confirm within one business day whether we take it on.