Verified: 18 March 2026 07:40 am CET
Industry: Wholesale & Online Retail Marketplace
Jurisdiction: Germany
Primary Regulator: Verbraucherzentrale
Important Safety Warning: Beware of fake customer service numbers on search engines. Only use official channels. Scammers frequently buy ads to promote fraudulent phone numbers. Metro staff will never ask for your account password, or ask you to verify your bank details over the phone to process a refund.
Level 1: Customer Support (Kundenservice)
- How to complain: Submit your issue via the official Metro online contact form, email them at kontakt@metro.de (for stores) or nutzerservice@metro.de (for the online marketplace), or call their central customer service hotline at 0211 / 176 070 90.
- Source Verification: Impressum - METRO Deutschland
- Availability: Digital support channels and the central hotline operate Monday to Saturday from 08:00 to 20:00 (CET).
- Source Verification: Kontakt - METRO Deutschland
- Timeline: Metro aims to respond to standard shipping, return, and product queries within 1 to 3 business days via digital support channels.
Level 2: Formal Written Complaint & Mahnung
- Who to contact: You must formally escalate your financial dispute by sending a registered letter with return receipt (Einschreiben mit Rückschein) to the correct legal entity, clearly stating your claim and setting a legally binding 14-day deadline (Mahnung) for them to issue a refund or resolution:
- For Physical Wholesale Stores (Großmarkt): Management Board, METRO Deutschland GmbH, Metro-Straße 8, 40235 Düsseldorf, Germany.
- For the Online Marketplace: Management Board, METRO Markets GmbH, Schlüterstraße 5, 40235 Düsseldorf, Germany.
- Source Verification: Impressum - METRO Markets
- Timeline: The legally binding deadline of 14 days (set via your Mahnung) provides the company a strict timeframe to resolve the issue before they legally default (in Verzug geraten).
Level 3: Regulatory Authority / ADR
- Authority: Both METRO Deutschland GmbH and METRO Markets GmbH explicitly state in their Terms and Conditions (AGB) that they are not obliged or willing to participate in dispute resolution proceedings before a German consumer arbitration board (Verbraucherschlichtungsstelle); therefore, your primary recourse is to seek free consumer rights guidance from your local Consumer Advice Centre (Verbraucherzentrale) or use the European Commission’s Online Dispute Resolution (OS-Plattform) for online purchases.
- Source Verification: AGB - METRO Deutschland
- Timeline: You can contact consumer protection immediately after the 14-day deadline in your Mahnung expires without a satisfactory refund or resolution.
Level 4: Legal Action
- Pre-Litigation: Before initiating formal court proceedings, you can seek case-specific legal assistance and representation from your local Consumer Advice Centre (Verbraucherzentrale) to evaluate your breached contract claim against Metro or a third-party marketplace seller.
- Source Verification: Verbraucherzentrale - Beschwerde
- Court/Arbitration: If Metro is in default (Verzug) after ignoring your formal Mahnung, you can initiate the judicial dunning process (gerichtliches Mahnverfahren) online to obtain an enforceable payment title against them, or file a civil lawsuit at your local district court (Amtsgericht) for financial claims up to €5,000.
- Source Verification: Gemeinsames Mahnportal der Länder
Community Action: Is Metro still refusing to refund you for a missing online marketplace order, or ignoring a complaint about a defective commercial product bought in-store? Reply below (do not share your passwords, full account numbers, or PINs), and our community will point you to the right legal templates!