Mediace ve spotřebitelských sporech – Vítová Blanka (2021)

The monograph deals with alternative dispute resolution methods focusing on mediation in consumer disputes. These alternative methods primarily offer a quick, effective, and often cheaper way to resolve disputes between consumers and businesses. Mediation, as a voluntary process resulting in a peaceful resolution of the dispute, is relatively new in the Czech Republic, yet it is a fairly successful method of dispute resolution. However, the number of mediation cases in consumer disputes is still significantly low and shows certain differences compared to mediation used in other areas of law (e.g., family law). Although mediation can generally be considered a means to improve the efficiency of the judicial system, there are several aspects that could make mediation problematic in the area of consumer law. These problematic aspects are addressed in individual chapters of the monograph. Among them are particularly the enforceability of decisions (the outcome of mediation — the final agreement) or the possibility of providing incorrect information or advice by the mediator in the area of substantive or procedural law, which can result not only in the invalidity of such an agreement but also in the mediator's obligation to compensate for damages.