In 2026 the European and national legal framework for e-commerce put online shops in front of new and considerably stricter requirements. The new rules on handling consumer complaints and on informing customers about out-of-court (alternative) dispute resolution (ADR) are already in force, and the supervisory authorities are watching compliance closely.
Cosmetic edits to your terms and conditions are no longer enough. The new framework calls for full transparency, strict traceability of the correspondence and a real rebuild of the internal working processes.
What are the main obligations for online shops?
According to the experts at the National Association for Out-of-Court Dispute Resolution, the new rules require serious operational changes:
- A reasoned written answer is mandatory. Every customer report or complaint has to receive a written position within the statutory deadline. Automatic rejections or ignored enquiries now carry a direct risk of administrative penalties.
- Clear information about ADR procedures. Where the case cannot be settled directly, the trader is obliged to tell the customer whether it accepts an out-of-court procedure and which competent body the customer can turn to.
- Full documentation and traceability. The business has to hold an archive and clear evidence for every stage of handling the complaint - from receiving it to sending the final answer.
- An update of the digital infrastructure. The changes affect the complaints pages, the email templates, customer service and the integrated CRM/ERP systems.
The obligations, translated into the language of your processes
The table below turns the four obligations into concrete requirements for your systems and shows where automation pays off most:
| Obligation | What it requires in practice | The risk with manual handling | What we automate |
|---|---|---|---|
| A reasoned written answer | A position on every report within the statutory deadline | A missed deadline, no evidence that an answer was sent | A ticket with a unique number and a due date, with alerts before it expires |
| Informing about ADR | A position on participation plus the competent body | Incomplete or non-compliant wording in the answer | Dynamic templates carrying the mandatory details |
| Documentation and traceability | An archive of every stage of the case | Correspondence scattered across personal mailboxes | One central case file with the full history of the correspondence |
| Digital infrastructure | Forms, templates, CRM/ERP integrations | Incomplete data from the customer, a second round of correspondence | An online complaint form wired straight into the system |
The challenge: how do you cope with the volume of administrative work?
For online shops with a high number of daily orders and enquiries, handling complaints by hand and tracking round-the-clock deadlines quickly turns into an administrative nightmare. A missed deadline or a template that is not quite right can lead to heavy fines and reputational damage.
The key to meeting the new requirements without overloading the team is digitalising and automating the processes.
How can Plana Solutions help?
At Plana Solutions we help businesses turn regulatory challenges into efficient, automated digital processes. Here is how we can help your online shop meet the new rules quickly and without friction:
1. Automating the handling of complaints and claims
We build and roll out tailored CRM and Helpdesk systems designed specifically for the needs of an eCommerce business. If you are still working out what sits behind those systems, start with what CRM is and what advantage it brings to a business. Through them:
- Every incoming report automatically opens a ticket with a unique number and a deadline for the answer.
- A notification system reminds the team about deadlines that are approaching.
- Dynamic templates for written answers are created, matching the ADR requirements.
2. Optimising and integrating the customer channels
Our experts configure dedicated modules and online complaint forms directly in your website. That makes sure the customer submits all the necessary information at the first contact, saving time on both sides.
3. Full traceability and a central archive
With our software solutions every step of the correspondence is stored securely and centrally. If a supervisory authority does inspect you, you hold a complete file for each individual case, quickly and easily accessible. If document traceability is your main worry, see also our piece on the document management system (DMS).
4. Business process optimisation (BPO)
We do not just install software - we model and optimise your internal business procedures, so that your support team works as fast and as organised as possible and without the risk of human error. If you are not sure where to start, it helps to weigh up which module to implement first - CRM, DMS, WMS or CMS.
The new rules do not come alone
2026 loads online traders with several parallel changes, not only the requirements on complaints and ADR. If you are still preparing for the others, see how a business can get ready for 2026 and the new currency, as well as the practical website check before dual price display ends on 8 August 2026. Planned together, these changes take one cycle of work on the system instead of three.
Conclusion: turn compliance into loyalty
Good after-sales service and quick resolution of problems are the best advertising an online shop has. Rather than treating the new rules as a burden, take the opportunity to modernise your processes and build even more trust with your customers.
Ready to adapt your digital infrastructure to the new requirements?
Book a free consultation on automating your eCommerce processes - we will review your current complaints flow and point out where automation pays off fastest.
