The company does not answer your complaint: where to turn

If the trader does not answer your complaint or rejects it, Montenegro's Consumer Protection Act (Official Gazette of Montenegro no. 12/2026) offers several further routes. In this order.

1. First: complain to the trader

Every further step assumes you first complained to the trader in writing. The trader has eight days to answer. How to write the complaint and which deadlines apply is in the guide "Your rights when a product is faulty". Keep a copy of the complaint and the confirmation of receipt.

A complaint on zalba.me does not replace the complaint to the trader, but it is often the quickest way to an answer: companies follow what is written about them in public.

2. A complaint to the inspectorate

If the trader does not answer in time or rejects your complaint, you can file a consumer complaint with the competent inspectorate. For most purchases this is the market inspection of the Administration for Inspection Affairs (Uprava za inspekcijske poslove):

• free phone line: 080 555 555,
• email: prijava@uip.gov.me,
• address: Oktobarske revolucije 130, 81000 Podgorica.

Attach a copy of your complaint and the trader's answer, if you have one. If you did not complain to the trader first, or your complaint is incomplete, the inspectorate will ask you within three days to complete it. When it finds that your rights were breached, it orders the trader by decision to act on your complaint. If an expert assessment is needed, the decision is made within 60 days; the consumer or the trader pays for the assessment, depending on its result.

3. Out-of-court dispute resolution

The Chamber of Economy of Montenegro hosts the Board for Out-of-Court Resolution of Consumer Disputes, an independent body with equal numbers of business and consumer-organisation representatives.

• Only a consumer can start a case, in writing or electronically, after trying to settle the dispute with the trader (a complaint already filed counts).
• The fee is 20 euros; for disputes worth less than 100 euros there is no fee.
• The Board does not decide disputes worth more than 10,000 euros, nor disputes about health or legal services, real estate, death or injury.
• Each side pays its own costs; if the trader loses under a binding decision, it must reimburse yours.

4. Sector regulators

Some sectors have their own bodies you can turn to:

• electronic communications and post: Agency for Electronic Communications and Postal Services (ekip.me),
• electricity and regulated utilities: Regulatory Agency for Energy and Regulated Utilities (regagen.co.me),
• banks and financial services: Central Bank of Montenegro (cbcg.me).

Check the procedure and deadlines on the body's website before you turn to it.

5. Court

You can always also go to court. For advice on court proceedings, consult a lawyer.

This guide summarises the law and is not legal advice for your particular case. The text of the law published in the Official Gazette of Montenegro prevails.