Where can consumers turn for advise?

Consumers can obtain a wide range of advice and assistance from various bodies. They are categorised here by subject. Many of them provide advice free of charge.

The Consumer Agency or the Consumers' Association?

The Consumer Agency is a government agency responsible for the supervision of companies' compliance with the law, for example regarding price labelling, advertising, consumer loans and package travel. You can report a company to the Consumer Agency if it does not comply with these rules. The Consumer Agency does not resolve disputes between you and an individual company.

The Consumers' Association of Iceland is a non-governmental organisation that works on various consumer interest issues, as the association decides independently and irrespective of the law. It provides guidance to the public and assists with complaints relating to the purchase of goods and services, including disputes with sellers in other EEA states through ECC.is (European Consumer Centre).

Disputes with a seller

If you and a seller cannot reach an agreement, for example about faulty goods or services, you can submit a complaint to the Complaints Board for Goods and Services. Please note that there is an appeal fee of ISK 5,000, which is paid once the complaint form has been completed but before it is sent to the board.

Consumer advice

Housing and renting

• The Tenants' Assistance service provides tenants and landlords with advice on rental matters free of charge. The service is run by the Consumers' Association.

• The Housing Complaints Committee rules on disputes concerning rent and multi-unit buildings.

• The Housing and Construction Authority (HMS) provides information on the complaints committees for multi-unit buildings and rental matters, as well as advice for people experiencing housing and payment difficulties. It is also responsible for the supervision of product safety and the verification of measuring instruments.

• The Homeowners' Association provides its members with advice on the ownership, operations and renting of property.

• Municipal housing committees provide general information and advice on housing matters and tenancy agreements.

Online fraud

• The Capital Area Police receive notifications of online fraud and reports of attempted fraud.

• CERT-IS receives notifications of security incidents such as phishing, denial-of-service attacks or ransomware attacks.

Finance, loans and debts

• The Debtors´ Ombudsman provides free advice to people experiencing serious payment difficulties.

• The Financial Supervisory Authority of the Central Bank of Iceland is responsible for the supervision of financial undertakings and insurance companies and seeks to guide consumers on the remedies available to them to assert their rights, including which body or bodies have adjudicative or judicial authority in their cases.

• The Complaints Committee on Transactions with Financial Undertakings rules on disputes between consumers and financial undertakings.

Legal advice

• Lögmannavaktin is a free legal advice service run by the Icelandic Bar Association, available on Tuesdays from 16:30 to 18:00 during the winter

• Orator's Legal Aid is a free advice service run by the law students' association at the University of Iceland. It operates from September each year until mid-April, except in December, when law students sit their exams.

• Lögrétta's Legal Service is a free advice service run by the law students' association at Reykjavik University. The legal aid operates from September to May, except during exam periods. It also holds a Tax Day, when the public can get help with completing their tax returns.

Product safety, food and medicines

• Municipal health inspectorates receive complaints about hygiene, for example in restaurants, and about noise or uncleanliness in the environment.

• The Icelandic Food and Veterinary Authority receives reports about food and publishes information on recalls.

• The Icelandic Medicines Agency receives notifications of adverse drug reactions and reports concerning the advertising and packaging of medicines.

• HMS (the Housing and Construction Authority) supervises the safety of various products on the market.

Travel, telecommunications and personal data

• The Icelandic Transport Authority receives complaints from passengers travelling by air, coach and sea, for example regarding delays or cancelled journeys.

• The Electronic Communications Office of Iceland (ECOI) receives complaints from consumers who believe that a telecommunications company or postal operator is in breach of its obligations. The agency also supervises service providers' terms and conditions and the price list for universal service.

• The Data Protection Authority supervises the implementation of the legislation on personal data and data protection. A consumer who believes that their personal data has not been processed correctly can submit a case to the Data Protection Authority, which will rule on the matter.

Cars and the home

• The Icelandic Automobile Association (FÍB) provides its members with information, guidance and assistance relating to car ownership, transactions and services.

• The Motor Trade Complaints Committee rules on disputes between consumers and sellers concerning any kind of consumer complaint, both domestic and cross-border, arising from the purchase of goods and/or services from companies within the Icelandic Motor Trade Federation.

• The Household Advice Centre provides advice and guidance on household management, housework and the purchase of household appliances.

• The Insurance Complaints Committee deals with disputes concerning liability for compensation, including fault and the apportionment of fault, between consumers and insurance companies.

Complaints about public authorities

The Althingi Ombudsman receives complaints if you believe that a public authority, whether the state or a municipality, has violated your rights