Description
SignalConso is the free public service of the DGCCRF, the French consumer protection authority, for reporting a problem with a company, in a shop or online, or asking a question about consumer rights. It is an alternative to giving up when a seller doesn’t respect the law and to paying for advice before trying the first steps.
The user picks one of 19 categories, from shop and online purchases to cold calling, building work, travel, banking, energy, housing, health and debt collection, and describes the problem. SignalConso first checks that the report falls within its scope, then informs the company, which can answer or change its practice; the consumer is told by email. Reports require a name and email address for the administration, but can stay anonymous towards the company. Questions instead get an individual answer from a DGCCRF agent by email. More than two million reports have been filed since 2020.
Every report goes into the DGCCRF database. When many reports concern the same company, or a problem seems serious, inspectors can decide to monitor or inspect it. SignalConso doesn’t follow individual cases and treats reports collectively. The service is free for consumers and companies, and false reports can be prosecuted. According to a study by Services Publics +, 93 % of users are satisfied.
Strengths
- A questionnaire by type of problem leads to the right category and step in a few minutes.
- The consumer can stay anonymous towards the company, while the DGCCRF knows who reported.
- Questions get a written answer from an agent, and reports help the DGCCRF choose whom to inspect.
Weaknesses
- The company is free to reply or not, and SignalConso doesn’t follow up individual cases.
- If the report fails, the next steps take longer: registered letter, mediator, then court.
- A single report rarely triggers an inspection, and no figures show how many do.
Who it is for
Anyone in France waiting for a refund, a delivery or a warranty that a seller isn’t honouring, as a free first step before a registered letter or a mediator.
Sources
- SignalConso: home, comment ça marche, qui sommes-nous, conditions générales, statistiques, checked November 2026