Schlichtungsantrag bei der Ombudsstelle für private Banken stellen

• Verfahrensordnung für die Schlichtung von Kundenbeschwerden im deutschen Bankgewerbe des Bundesverbandes deutscher Banken (Bankenverband)

Calling the Customer Complaints Office of the Association of German Banks for the out-of-court settlement of consumer disputes

A legal dispute is annoying, lengthy and often expensive. To make it easier to resolve disagreements between you and your bank, private banks have set up an out-of-court mediation procedure. Independent ombudsmen help you settle differences quickly and unbureaucratically.

Tip: Often disagreements can already be resolved in direct contact with the bank concerned. It is therefore always advisable to ask them for clarification before submitting a conciliation request.

If no agreement is possible in the conciliation procedure, you can assert your claim in court proceedings.

• Complaint form
• Documents necessary to understand your case, for example also
  • Correspondence with the bank concerned

If necessary, the complaints office will request further documents from you.

• The applicant is a natural person.
• The financial transactions do not serve commercial or self-employed professional purposes.

Note: Companies and self-employed persons can apply for the conciliation procedure in disputes that fall within the scope of application of the regulations on payment services according to § 675c to 676c of the German Civil Code (BGB).

• The private bank concerned must belong to the Association of German Banks and have joined this procedure.

Exceptions

In the following cases, conciliation by the complaints office is not possible:

• the conflict has already been settled by an out-of-court settlement
• the conflict was or is already the subject of a conciliation procedure at another conciliation or conciliation office
• an application for legal aid was rejected because the action had no prospect of success
• the conflict is being dealt with by a court before or during the conciliation proceedings or is being brought before a court by the applicant during the conciliation proceedings
• witnesses would have to be heard to establish the facts of the case
• the claim of the applicant is already statute-barred and the other party invokes the statute of limitations

The procedure is free of charge for you. There are only costs for postage and, if necessary, for copies.

Check competence

• First check whether the bank concerned is a member of the Association of German Banks and has joined this procedure.

Check admissibility

• At the Association of German Banks, you can use an interactive check to see whether the ombudsmen of the complaints office are competent and whether all the requirements for a successful application are met.

Submit an application for conciliation

• If all the requirements are met, submit the request for conciliation in writing to the competent body. To do this, use the template on the website of the Association of German Banks
• Fill out the form as completely as possible. Describe the facts of the case and what you want to achieve with your request for conciliation.
• Attach copies of all relevant documents that are necessary to understand your request.
• The Complaints Office of the Association of German Banks will confirm receipt of your request for mediation and send you a description of the next steps in the procedure.

You can also find an overview and explanations of the entire procedure from the application to the possible conciliation proposal on the website of the Association of German Banks.