CONFIO.PT is an accreditation programme that results from a partnership between ACEPI, DNS.PT and DECO.
.PT
The .PT Association, is a private, not for profit organization, responsible in Portugal for the registration, management and maintenance of the ccTLD (country code Top Level Domain).pt. In addition, DNS.pt has a formal role as a key promoter of projects, initiatives and entities that develop, promote and disseminate Internet related resources and therefore helping to stimulate the use of the Internet in Portugal in its various capacities. As a result, DNS.PT became a part of this initiative to certify websites on the www.CONFIO.pt platform.
DNS.PT’s involvement as an active partner in this national website accreditation initiative with the CONFIO trustmark reinforces the importance of our work to promote an Internet where consumers and users can feel safe to navigate freely. Not only are we building consumer trust in platforms, we are also promoting secure utilization and consequently driving more and better use of the Internet, ans supporting the growth of our businesses. With this increased wealth creation, the projection of Portugal itself on the Internet is also much higher.
Luisa Ribeiro Lopes, president of the DNS.PT Association
ACEPI
ACEPI – Digital Economy Association, is a not for profit organization established in 2000 whose mission is to promote, discuss, project, disseminate and dignify the Digital Economy in Portugal.
To this end, ACEPI has been cooperating with the Portuguese State and the European Union to create an appropriate and harmonized legal and tax framework and self-regulation mechanisms that are quintessential to developing and strengthening trust in digital businesses.
The digital world is free of regional or time barriers and as such is one of the most important platforms for international product and service promotion, enabling companies to do business in a fast and effective manner, anywhere in the world.
ACEPI is well known amongst Portuguese associations as a forum that stimulates debate, promotion and dissemination of the Digital Economy in Portugal, in cooperation with a number of international peers.
ACEPI brings together the most relevant players in the Portuguese Digital Economy, including shops, banks and other financial companies, portals, media companies, telecom operators, long distance sales companies and many other institutions from all areas of business. ACEPI has approximately 230 associates and over 1000 companies registered in its directory.
The creation of the CONFIO trustmark in partnership with two highly renowned entities in Portugal, DECO and DNS, is very important not only for ACEPI, but as a means of further projecting the Digital Economy in Portugal, reinforcing the credibility of ecommerce platforms. The launch of the new digital trustmark – CONFIO.PT – replacing the previous “Confiança Online” trustmark managed by ACEPI for the past ten years, is a further means of increasing Digital Consumer trust and stimulating ecommerce in Portugal. The simultaneous launch of the Digital Europe trustmark – “Trust” – run by a highly reputed European institution, Ecommerce Europe, is an additional guarantee for International Consumers that Portuguese sites follow international best practices in ecommerce.
Alexandre Nilo da Fonseca, President of ACEPI
DECO
DECO – The Portuguese Consumer Protection Association, is a not for profit organization founded over 40 years ago to defend the legitimate interests of consumers having diversified and grown its areas of intervention over the years.
Initially DECO was an organized group of socially conscious consumers created to monitor the growth of a more consumer oriented society, still at an early stage of development in Portugal at the time, and to avoid and denounce potential malpractices. As they acquired more experience in the field and expanded the initial group of founders, DECO turned into a very representative institution in Portuguese society and today has more than 480 thousand associates.
DECO has been reinforcing its image as an institution of public interest, a classification awarded in 1978, thus increasing its power of representation and ability to intervene. In addition to all the national and international organizations at which it is represented, DECO has 6 regional delegations (Viana do Castelo, Porto, Coimbra, Santarém, Évora and Faro), enabling more effective and coordinated action nationwide and providing access to consumers all around the country to our services:
a) Regular publications – “Proteste”, “Teste Saúde” and “Dinheiro e Direitos” – providing consumers with information about products and services being sold in the market. DECO also publishes thematic reports and papers on current issues (flyers, brochures, posters etc);
b) Consumer support in consumer dispute resolution, providing information to make sure consumer are aware of their rights either through the call centre, in writing or in loco, at head office or at one of the delegations;
c) Consumer dispute mediation with a view to reach a satisfactory outcome and denunciation to the competent public authorities;
d) Consumer rights protection, ensuring and monitoring that relevant legislation is being applied;
e) Consumer education at schools with a view to encourage young consumers to be more responsible and involved. DECO also promotes continuous consumer information to develop skills that prepare consumers for ever more competitive, innovative and global markets.
f) Professional training in all fields of business so that they are better prepared to guarantee, protect and respect consumer rights in their professional activities;
g) Representation of consumer rights and legitimate interests with partners in the public sector and many other national, European and international institutions.
DECO is also an associate of Bureau Européen des Unions de Consommateurs (BEUC) and of Internacional Consumers (IC), and is partnered with many other peer entities and associations around the world.
The main problems that Internet and ecommerce users encounter are issues relating to protection of personal data, payment security, and rights protection. The purpose of CONFIO is precisely to prevent and resolve these problems, offering consumers guarantees that they are buying and selling goods and services on trustworthy sites, that comply with best practices in ecommerce, namely greater security for online contracts and respect for consumer rights and due to the fact that companies have adhered to alternative dispute resolution platforms. We believe this is a project that due to the conditions demanded of companies and guarantees offered to consumers, really represents a major step towards increasing consumer trust and protection.
Vasco Colaço, president of DECO
