Survey Reveals 72% of Luxembourg Consumers Unaware of Rights

On Wednesday 14 January 2026, Martine Hansen, Luxembourg’s Minister for Consumer Protection, presented the results of a survey on the level of awareness of consumer rights in Luxembourg.

Luxembourg's Directorate for Consumer Protection (DPC), the Luxembourg Consumer Association (ULC) and the European Consumer Centre (CEC) Luxembourg issued the survey results, alongside a communication campaign to better inform consumers about their rights.

According to the DPC survey, conducted with the support of Euroconsumers, most complaints result in a favourable outcome. However, overall satisfaction remains low and significant gaps persist in awareness of consumer rights, particularly in relation to online purchases and delivery, travel and guarantees.

The survey outlines the problems consumers encounter, the steps they take and their level of awareness in Luxembourg.

According to the data, 38% of participants encountered at least one problem over the past two years, while 44% faced difficulties relating to several types of products or services.

The survey identified the following product and service categories as causing the most problems:

• construction work and renovation services (21%);

• long-distance transport (16%);

• vehicles (15%);

• household appliances (12%);

• telecommunications, travel and clothing (10% each).

Consumers generally react when they encounter a problem. As a result, 86% of those who experienced an issue took action, mainly by contacting the seller or service provider. However, 14% did not take any action, even though the survey shows that in around two thirds of cases, consumers who report a problem obtain a favourable outcome. 

Nearly three quarters of consumers (72%) remain unaware of a significant part of their rights, particularly in relation to online purchases, guarantees and travel:

• 80% do not know the legal delivery period (30 days);

• almost half of consumers are unaware of the fourteen-day right of withdrawal for online purchases;

• 52% know that a flight delay of more than three hours may give rise to compensation.

According to the Directorate for Consumer Protection, gaps in knowledge of consumer rights can lead to “unnecessary steps or unrealistic expectations”. At the same time, better awareness would allow consumers to act more effectively. The campaign places particular emphasis on young people, as their level of awareness remains especially low.

The campaign includes collaboration with influencers, who illustrate practical situations and explain consumer rights on social media. The organisers also launched a dedicated website, https://myconsumerrights.lu/, as part of the campaign.

During the launch, representatives of the ULC and the CEC explained best practices for asserting consumer rights, namely:

• gathering evidence: keeping invoices, contracts, email exchanges and photos to support a complaint;

• contacting the seller or service provider: doing so in writing (email or registered letter), clearly and precisely identifying the problem;

• requesting a concrete solution: refund, exchange, repair and setting a reasonable deadline (for example, fourteen days);

• following up if necessary: in the absence of a response, resending the request while recalling the facts and the claim;

• seeking assistance: the ULC can assist consumers in disputes with a professional established in Luxembourg, while the CEC can do the same for disputes with a professional established in another European Union (EU) country;

• if the situation becomes complicated: for serious disputes specialised mediators in certain sectors can help to resolve it at a lower cost by promoting dialogue between the parties;

• keeping all correspondence, as it will be useful in the event of mediation or legal action.