ODR Platform Abolished: Remove the Link From Your Website

If your website has a link to the EU Online Dispute Resolution (ODR) platform in the footer or terms and conditions, it's pointing to a dead page. The platform was shut down on 20 July 2025.

Thousands of online shops in the Netherlands still have this link. It's an easy fix. Here's what happened and what you need to do.

What the ODR platform was

The EU created the ODR platform in 2016 as an online tool for resolving disputes between consumers and online retailers. If a customer was unhappy with a purchase, they could file a complaint through the platform at ec.europa.eu/odr.

EU law required every business that sells online to consumers to include a link to this platform on their website. Most web developers added it to the footer or the terms and conditions page. Some cookie consent tools and legal text generators included it automatically.

Why it was abolished

The platform didn't work. The European Commission's own evaluation found that very few disputes were actually resolved through it. Most complaints were never picked up by the businesses they were filed against, and the process was slow compared to alternatives like chargebacks or national consumer authorities.

Regulation (EU) 2025/40, published in January 2025, formally abolished the ODR platform. The website stopped accepting new complaints on 20 March 2025 and shut down completely on 20 July 2025.

What you need to do

Remove the link. Search your website for any reference to the ODR platform. Common places where it appears:

• Website footer
• Terms and conditions page
• General conditions (algemene voorwaarden)
• Privacy policy (some templates included it here too)
• Confirmation emails sent after purchases

Search for "ec.europa.eu/odr" or "online dispute resolution" in your website files and CMS. Remove the link and the accompanying text about the ODR platform.

If your terms and conditions were generated by a legal template service, check whether they've released an updated version. Many Dutch providers (like ICTRecht and Juralink) have published updated templates.

Check your marketplace listings too. If you sell on platforms like Bol.com or Amazon, your seller terms may also reference the ODR platform. Update those separately.

Do you still need dispute resolution information?

Yes, but the requirements have changed.

You're no longer required to link to the ODR platform (since it doesn't exist). But other consumer protection obligations remain.

Under Dutch law (and the broader EU Consumer Rights Directive), you still need to:

• Provide clear contact information on your website so customers can reach you with complaints
• Inform customers about their right to cancel online purchases within 14 days
• Mention any alternative dispute resolution (ADR) bodies that apply to your industry, if you've committed to using one

If your industry has a specific dispute resolution body (geschillencommissie), such as the Geschillencommissie Thuiswinkel for webshops that are Thuiswinkel members, you still need to mention this on your website.

For most small online shops that are not members of a dispute resolution scheme, removing the ODR link and keeping your standard complaint procedure and contact details is enough.

How to check your website

Run a free scan of your website. It checks for outdated legal links, including references to the abolished ODR platform. The scan takes 30 seconds and flags exactly where the link appears.

Frequently asked questions

Can I get fined for still linking to the ODR platform?

There's no specific fine for keeping an outdated link. But linking to a dead government platform looks unprofessional, and it could signal to inspectors that your legal information hasn't been reviewed recently. More practically, it confuses customers who click the link and land on a 404 page.

Do I need to replace the ODR link with something else?

No direct replacement exists. The EU has not launched a successor platform. Just remove the ODR link and make sure your website still has clear contact information and a complaint procedure.

My legal template still includes the ODR link. What should I do?

Contact your template provider and ask for an updated version. If they haven't updated it by now, that's a red flag about the quality of their service. In the meantime, manually remove the ODR reference from your website. Don't wait for them to act.

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