Fayza Al-Audi, CEO and Board Member of the Banking and Insurance Dispute Resolution Centre (Sndk) in the UAE, stated that receiving messages from customers indicating that their complaints submitted to Sndk have been closed after three or four days without resolution is due to the customer not contacting their bank first and attempting to resolve their issue. She emphasized that this is the first mandatory step that must be followed.
She added that if the customer does not receive a satisfactory solution from the bank, they can then file a complaint with Sndk via the centre's website or smart app. She noted that the complaint resolution period has been reduced from 30 to 15 working days, provided that the customer has first attempted to resolve the issue with their bank and that the complaint is not pending before any judicial authority or has already been adjudicated.
Al-Audi explained during a press conference in Abu Dhabi yesterday that approximately 99% of banking and insurance complaints are submitted electronically, stressing the importance of customers reviewing the details published on the Sndk website or its social media pages to increase awareness and understand the complaint submission criteria.
She pointed out that some elderly people still prefer direct communication by visiting the Sndk centre in person, while the centre's team conducts open meetings with the public across the country's emirates to raise awareness, introduce the centre's role as an independent body in protecting customers' rights and helping resolve their issues, and to report complaint details and classifications to the Central Bank as the relevant supervisory and regulatory authority responsible for inspecting and overseeing banks and insurance companies.
Al-Audi stated that "resolving customer complaints through Sndk is done by submitting a complaint via the website, and after 15 working days, the complainant is contacted for a response and clarification. If the customer is not satisfied, they can appeal to an appeals committee under Sndk, as long as the criteria are met, in addition to paying a refundable initial fee if the decision is in their favor."
She confirmed that the Sndk website is not only for complaints but can also be used for inquiries if there is a need for awareness or financial literacy before dealing with banks or insurance companies.
She said that the meetings held by the Sndk team with the public and their visits to various locations in the UAE aim to communicate directly with community members, simplify financial literacy concepts, and inform consumers about their financial rights in the banking and insurance sectors, as well as introduce the centre's services and its mechanisms for resolving financial disputes with complete impartiality and transparency.
She noted that Sndk also, through its events, emphasizes its role in enhancing trust between customers and financial institutions and in supporting a more just, transparent, and sustainable financial environment in the UAE. The events include open discussions with the audience, answering their questions about protecting their rights, and enhancing their financial literacy in their daily lives, while emphasizing the commitment to making these initiatives periodic and sustainable as part of Sndk's obligation to raise consumer financial literacy and promote fairness in financial transactions.
The complaint resolution period has been reduced from 30 to 15 working days only.
