Leaving a shop with a completed complaint form does not mean the authorities already know about the dispute. In the Valencian Community, the consumer must file or send the white copy to Consumer Affairs, together with supporting evidence, before the procedure begins.
The business must provide the form at the place where it is requested or at the clearly identified customer-service point. It cannot send the customer to a distant head office. The duty covers retailers, service centres, home services, public shows and leisure activities.
A clear remedy and evidence matter
The form should identify both sides, explain what happened and state the requested outcome: a refund, repair, performance of the contract or another specific remedy. Useful evidence includes the invoice or receipt, quotation, contract, advertising, emails and any other document that reconstructs the events.
The business gives the complainant the white and green copies. It keeps the pink copy for possible inspection and the yellow copy for onward submission where required. The green copy is the consumer’s record; the white one goes to the provincial Consumer Affairs service in Alicante, Castellón or Valencia, including through the online procedure.
The general consumer route is open all year but does not cover every sector. Tourism services have a separate procedure, while fields such as electricity and gas also have specialist channels. Choosing the correct route avoids a later transfer of the file.
Mediation is not a court judgment
After receiving the complaint, the provincial services, municipal consumer information offices or another competent body can mediate between the parties. The Valencian government states a maximum period of three months for processing and notification.
Mediation seeks an agreement but does not replace the courts or guarantee compensation. If the business belongs to the consumer arbitration scheme, or accepts arbitration for the dispute, that route can produce a binding decision without litigation. Where neither agreement nor arbitration is possible, the administrative complaint remains useful evidence for other action.
A refusal to provide the form does not remove the consumer’s options. They can submit the official form directly with their evidence, record the refusal and seek help from a municipal consumer office or the provincial service.
This article should be updated if the form, online procedure, competent bodies or sector-specific routes change.