Bansabadell Financiación, E.F.C., S.A., Sabadell Asset Management, S.A., S.G.I.I.C. Sociedad Unipersonal, Urquijo Gestión, S.G.I.I.C, S.A. and Sabadell Consumer Finance, S.A.U.
On 21 July 2021, guidelines on the criteria for the organisation and operation of customer care services of institutions supervised by the Bank of Spain came into force, which provide control mechanisms for the SAC to evaluate all complaints and claims handled in the Institution. The implementation of these control mechanisms is planned during 2022.
A total of 49,720 complaints and claims were received in 2021, of which 2,489 were complaints (5.01%), and 47,231 were claims (94.99%), in addition to a further 1,143 cases that were pending as at 31 December 2020.
Of this total, 49,949 were processed in 2021, of which a total of 34,701 were accepted for processing and resolved, 15,248 were declined and 914 remained pending as at 31 December 2021.
The five products that received the most claims are detailed below:
| | | | | | | | |
| | |
Product | | No. of claims | | | % of total received | |
Current accounts | | | 18,198 | | | | 36.60 % | |
Mortgage loans | | | 15,530 | | | | 31.23 % | |
Credit/Debit cards | | | 6,305 | | | | 12.68 % | |
Personal loans | | | 2,168 | | | | 4.36 % | |
Direct debits | | | 878 | | | | 1.77 % | |
Other | | | 6,641 | | | | 13.36 % | |
Total | | | 49,720 | | | | 100.00 % | |
Complaints and claims processed by SAC at first instance
During 2021, the SAC received 45,943 complaints and claims, of which 32,000 were accepted for processing and resolved, in accordance with the provisions of Order ECO 734/2004 of 11 March.
Of the total number of complaints and claims accepted for processing and resolved by the SAC, 15,328 (47.90%) were resolved in the customer’s favour and 16,666 (52.08%) in the Institution’s favour and in 6 cases (0.02%) the customer withdrew their complaint.
Of the total number of complaints and claims accepted for processing and resolved by the SAC, 16,435 (51.36%) were processed within a period of 15 working days, 14,110 (44.09%) within a period of less than 1 month and 1,455 (4.55%) within a period longer than 1 month.
Complaints and claims managed by the Ombudsman
At Banco Sabadell, the role of Customer Ombudsman is assumed by Mr José Luis Gómez-Dégano y Ceballos-Zúñiga. The Ombudsman is responsible for resolving the complaints brought forward by the customers and users of Banco de Sabadell, S.A., and of the other aforementioned entities associated with it, both at first and second instance, and for resolving issues that are passed on by the SAC. The Ombudsman’s decisions are binding on the Institution.
In 2021, the SAC received a total of 3,144 complaints and claims via the Customer Ombudsman, of which 2,063 were accepted for processing and resolved during the year.
Of the claims and complaints accepted for processing and resolved, the Ombudsman decided in favour of the customer in 118 (5.72%) cases, and in favour of the Institution in 726 (35.19%) cases, and 5 claims were withdrawn by the customer (0.24%). Furthermore, the SAC acquiesced to the claimant’s request in 1,185 (57.44%) cases. The other 29 complaints and claims (1.41%) remained pending final resolution by the Ombudsman, following dispatch of arguments by the SAC.
Complaints and claims managed by the Bank of Spain and the CNMV
Under current legislation, customers or users who are dissatisfied with the response received from the SAC or from the Customer Ombudsman may submit their claims and complaints to the Market Conduct and Complaints Department of the Bank of Spain, to the CNMV or to the Directorate General for Insurance and Pension Funds, subject to the essential prerequisite of having previously addressed their complaint or claim to the Institution.
The SAC received a total of 633 claims referred by the Bank of Spain and the CNMV until 31 December 2021. This year, taking into account claims that remained pending at the end of the previous year, 639 claims were accepted and resolved.
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