Complaints and Points of Contact
The first step should always be to make a complaint to the company in question. We take up your complaint regarding supervised entities after you have been through the complaints procedure with the entity itself. The FMA reviews whether the entity has observed the rules under supervisory law, including especially the rules regarding the complaints procedure. Entities are obliged to have a complaints procedure in place and to inform the public about it. The relevant contact can usually be found by looking for “Ombud” or “Complaints Management”.
- inform you upon request or when confirming receipt of the complaint, in writing, about the complaints handling procedure.
- publish details about the complaints procedure in an easily accessible manner, for example in brochures, information documents, contractual documentation or on its website.
- provide clear, precise and up-to-date information about processing of complaints, in particular regarding how to submit a complaint (for example the type of information to be submitted by the person making the complaint, the identity or contacts details for the person or division to whom the complaint should be addressed).
- provide information about the complaints procedure, for example about when a complaint is acknowledged, the approximate duration of the procedure, information about the competent authorities, ombuds, the possibility of an alternative dispute resolution procedure.
- inform the person making the complaint about the further handling of the complaint.
- communicate in clear and easy to understand language, respond within an appropriate period of time and to communicate when the procedure ends.
- when reaching a final decision that does not fully match the demands of the person making the complaint, to justify this and to explain your position.
- Present the options for pursuing the complaint further to the person making the complaint, for example by referring them to an ombud or alternative dispute resolution body. Such bodies may in particular include the independent Joint Conciliation Board of the Austrian Banking Industry (unabhängige Gemeinsame Schlichtungsstelle der österreichischen Kreditwirtschaft), the information and complaints body of the Austria Insurance Association (Verband der Versicherungsunternehmen Österreichs), the customer ombud for the financial services sector (Ombudsstelle für Kunden der Finanzdienstleistungsbranche) or the Conciliation Body for Consumer Transactions (Schlichtung für Verbrauchergeschäfte).
The FMA is unable to obtain an individual solution for you, but is obliged to act in the interests of collective consumer protection, i.e. for consumers as a whole. Finding an individual solution or making a decision regarding the specific case in hand is reserved for ombuds, arbitration and mediation bodies or ordinary courts.
Consumer Enquiries
The FMA responds to consumer enquiries provided they fall within the FMA’s scope of competence. Please describe the specific background of your question. Enquiries may be submitted in writing or by telephone.
You can reach our Consumer Hotline from Monday to Thursday from 09:00 – 11:30 as well as on Thursday afternoon from 13:00 – 16:00 on:
(+43-1) 249 59 – 3444
Written enquiries and complaints to the FMA may be submitted via the form below. When submitting a complaint you require the documentation that you have approached the entity’s complaints management function with, as well as the complaints management function’s written response, provided you have received one within an appropriate period of time.
Submit an Enquiry or a Complaint
Alternatively, you may submit it by post to: Finanzmarktaufsicht – Verbraucherinformation & Beschwerdewesen, Otto-Wagner-Platz 5, A-1090 Vienna
You may also contact the following bodies if you want to find an individual solution to the problem or the disputed case:
Conciliation Body for Consumer Transactions (Schlichtung für Verbrauchergeschäfte)
Austrian Insurance Association (Verband der Versicherungsunternehmen Österreichs)
Complaints Body for Insurance (Versicherungsbeschwerdestelle)
Austrian Data Protection Authority (Datenschutzbehörde)
Consumer Information Association (Verein für Konsumenteninformation)
Debt Counselling (Schuldnerberatung)
Ombud for Loan Repayment Difficulties (Ombudsstelle für Zahlungsprobleme bei Krediten)
If you require legal representation: Rechtsanwaltskammer
If you believe that an offence punishable by a court has been conducted: Staatsanwaltschaft , Polizei