People in Luxembourg filed 4,623 complaints with the in 2022, with around half of all reported problems related to real estate, from disagreements with construction companies to disputes over lease agreements. The ULC mostly represents tenants when it comes to housing and only rarely landlords. “The tenant is the weakest link,” says the union’s president Nico Hoffmann.

The ULC’s core activity is a legal department and its team deals with insurance and travel complaints, but also has a tax advisory service. It gives legal advice, offers mediation services, but will also see a case all the way to court, if necessary. “You always try to solve problems in good faith.”

The consumer union is not the only place in Luxembourg to get help, with the ILR regulatory institute supporting customers in telecommunications or the Mieterschutz asbl helping tenants. The European Consumer Centre specialises in cross-border disputes. The ULC offers practical advice, but it also advocates for consumers, for example lobbying against bank branch and post office closures.

And even though there is an annual membership fee of €80, the ULC offers some support for free with funding from the government, where its advocacy helped create the consumer protection ministry.