Residential care housing

The nature of the agreement determines the party that handles complaints and disputes pertaining to services or fees.

The quality of an outsourced service is the responsibility of the municipality. If the customer is dissatisfied with the service he has received, he may file a reminder with the municipality or an administrative appeal with the provincial government.

Agreements between customers granted service vouchers and service providers are governed by the provisions and principles of consumer law and contract law.

In the event of a service defect, the customer may

• demand that the defect be rectified. If this is not possible or the business fails to rectify the defect within a reasonable time, the customer may demand a price discount as compensation
• refrain from making payment in the case of delayed service provision and demand that the contractual obligations are met
• demand compensation for damages, i.e. financial compensation for damages caused by the service defect
• terminate the agreement and, if he so desires, change to a different service provider if the defect may not be compensated for in another manner

If a dispute can't be resolved, the customer may

• contact consumer advisory services for free-of-charge advice and assistance in the mediation of disputes
• bring the matter to the Consumer Disputes Board, which issues recommendations for resolving disputes
• file a reminder with the municipality or an administrative complaint with the provincial government

Services paid for personally are also covered by consumer protection legislation

Services external to service packages that are outsourced or paid for by service voucher and thereby paid for by the customer himself are covered by the Consumer Protection Act. Services paid for by the customer himself include, among others, hygiene costs, hairdresser's fees and other personal services, expenses and fees. In defects pertaining to such services, the customer may demand compensation under the Consumer Protection Act and, in case of disputes, turn to consumer advisory services.

A customer who pays for the entire service himself concludes an agreement with the private care home and pays for all services himself, which means that any agreements pertaining to services and fees are governed by the Consumer Protection Act. The customer may demand for compensation for service defects based on the Consumer Protection Act and, in case of disputes, turn to consumer advisory services.

If the assistance from consumer advisory services does not prove conclusive and the dispute fails to get resolved, cases pertaining to services personally paid for may be brought to the Consumer Disputes Board, which issues recommendations for the resolution of disputes.