Office for Complaints concerning insurance intermediaries
Complaints point regarding insurance intermediaries (Section 365 (1) of the Austrian Trade Act [GewO], EU Directive 2016/97)
A complaints point regarding insurance intermediaries has been established at the Federal Ministry for Labour and Economy. Under Section 365 (1) Trade Act it is authorised to accept, free of charge, complaints filed by insurance customers and other affected parties, including in particular consumer associations, against insurance intermediaries. All complaints must be acted on and responded to. If possible, a conciliatory settlement is to be achieved, and complaints against banks and insurance undertakings acting as insurance intermediaries must be notified to the Financial Market Authority (FMA). In settling cross-border disputes, the complaints point must cooperate with comparable authorities in other Member States and support border-crossing collaboration between other complaints and mediation bodies.
In many cases, the complaints point is able to arrange amicable solutions benefitting the customer. Depending on the subject of the complaint, the complaints point contacts the other bodies or passes on the complaint to the responsible government authorities. If expedient, the complaint is dealt with in cooperation with other consumer associations.
Contact
Beschwerdestelle über Versicherungsvermittler im BMAW,
Bundesministerium für Arbeit und Wirtschaft
Stubenring 1, 1010 Vienna,
Abteilung VI/A/1
Stefan Trojer
+43 1-71100/805782
stefan.trojer@bmaw.gv.at
Further information
In its Section 33, the 2018 Act Amending Insurance Distribution Law charged the Federal Minister for Labour, Social Affairs, Health and Consumer Protection with acting as complaints point for consumers and consumer associations regarding insurance undertakings, small-scale insurers, insurance associations as well as third-country and EEC insurers.
This body thus operates complementary to the complaints point regarding insurance intermediaries to handle complaints on direct sales by insurers.
Contact
Division for Crafts, Trades and Services Law: gewerbe@bmaw.gv.at