Consumer law guide

Portugal

This guide is intended to help you understand how the various obligations applicable to the sale of goods and/or services to consumers interrelate

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December 19, 2025

Sónia Queiroz Vaz
Sofia Lopes Agostinho
Helena Borges da Costa
ACI | Área de Conocimiento e Innovación

Digital consumption has accelerated transparency, information and after-sales obligations. Platforms, data, AI, and accessibility have become part of the regulatory “core,” with a direct impact on reputation, consumer trust and competitiveness.

Compliance with consumer law rules is, today, determinative and covers all areas of interaction with consumers: from interface design to commercial policies, from guarantees to data management and accessibility. Acting with legal rigor in the relationship with consumers has become a factor of trust, reputation and competitive advantage.

This guide, with the checklist and the golden checklist, provides a practical roadmap to detect risks, prioritize interventions and know when to escalate for specialized support, shortening the path between the legal requirement and execution.

Target

This guide is aimed at:

Legal and compliance departments, marketing and advertising, e-commerce and product/IT, operations and customer service, sales and retail, and design and innovation.

I. Introduction
Consumer law in Portugal
What consumer law includes
Digital at the forefront

II. Basic principles of consumer law
The consumer law “mosaic” in Portugal: Dispersion, principles and the digital age
Implementation of the mosaic in legislation
The linkage between the various topics

III. Company obligations
Legal protection of consumers
Prohibited standard contractual clauses
Unfair commercial practices
Information obligations
Rules for returns
Price indication
Price reductions, stock-out and sale at a loss
Product and service conformity guarantees
Right to repair
Misleading and aggressive advertising: what to avoid and the sanctions

IV. E-commerce and new technologies
Good design and operation
Platforms and data
Competition and platforms: price parity, P2B and DMA
Privacy in e-commerce

V. Consequences of non-compliance - enforcement in Portugal
Consumer legal protection

VI. Complaints management and class actions
Complaints: practical grounds and alternative dispute resolution (ADR)
Complaints book - practical recommendations
Consumer protection entities and authorities
Complaints management and class actions
Consumer class actions: essentials for companies

VII. Compliance checklist

VIII. Golden checklist

IX. Conclusion

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December 19, 2025