The Norwegian Consumer Authority has approximately 140 employees. The head office is located in Porsgrunn, and we also have offices in Stavanger, Tromsø and Longyearbyen.
Organization and administration
The Norwegian Consumer Authority is a professionally independent administrative body that is administratively subordinate to the Ministry of Children and Family Affairs. It is headed by Director Bente Øverli. Øverli was appointed on 28 February 2025 by the King in Council, for a fixed term of six years.
See an overview of the management, middle managers and communication advisors in the Norwegian Consumer Authority.
Supervision
The Norwegian Consumer Authority works to prevent and stop illegal marketing, unfair contract terms and other forms of illegal commercial practices aimed at consumers. We also work to promote businesses’ respect for human rights and decent working conditions. We will achieve this through guidance and dialogue with businesses, and through solid information work.
The Authority can also use financial sanctions against businesses that break the law. False claims and misleading marketing, hidden advertising, body image pressure in social media, illegal telemarketing and unaddressed advertising are some of the issues the Authority works on.
Here you can read more about our supervisory work and which areas we supervise (in Norwegian only).
Dispute resolution
The Norwegian Consumer Authority is responsible for the public dispute resolution service for consumer disputes. We mediate matters relating to the purchase of goods and services between consumers and businesses, and between private individuals.
The aim of the mediation process is to reach a mutually acceptable agreement between the parties. If a dispute cannot be resolved through mediation, the parties may choose to refer it to the Consumer Complaints Committee, who can make a legally binding decision. The Norwegian Consumer Authority is also responsible for preparing cases for consideration by the Consumer Complaints Committee.
Please note that all case handling is conducted in Norwegian. If you do not speak Norwegian, you may appoint a representative to communicate with us on your behalf. You can find out more about our dispute resolution service here (in Norwegian only).
International work
The Consumer Authority participates in a number of international forums where we work for strong consumer protection across borders. Two of the most important are the International Consumer Protection and Enforcement Network (ICPEN) and the European Consumer Protection Cooperation Network (CPC).
European Consumer Centre Norway (ECC Norway)
The Norwegian Consumer Authority also hosts the European Consumer Centre Norway (ECC Norway), which assists consumers in disputes with traders in other EU or EEA countries and the United Kingdom. ECC Norway is co-funded by the European Commission and is part a of network of consumer centres across Europe called the European Consumer Centres Network (ECC-Net). The network collaborates across borders to provide free information, advice and assistance in cross-border disputes between consumers and traders in other EU and EEA countries. Visit ECC Norway`s website for more information about their services.
Laws and regulations
The role of the Consumer Authority is regulated in the Marketing Act. The Authority’s activities are also regulated by the Regulation on the Consumer Authority’s and the Market Council’s case processing and the Consumer Complaints Regulation. The Norwegian Consumer Authority enforces the consumer protection rules in the Marketing Act and a number of other laws.
The Norwegian Consumer Authority also enforces the Transparency Act. The main purpose of the Act is to promote businesses’ respect for human rights and decent working conditions, and to ensure public access to information.
In Norway, everyone who sells goods and services to consumers must comply with the Consumer Purchase Act. This is, therefore, one of the most important laws that is the basis for our mediation work.
You can read more about relevant laws and regulations here (in Norwegian only)
Contact
Office: Porselensvegen 32, 3920 Porsgrunn
Phone: +47 23 400 600
Office hours: Monday-Friday 10.00–14.00.
E-mail: postmottak@forbrukertilsynet.no
For media inquiries, please contact our communications department at kom@forbrukertilsynet.no.
