A dispute with a bank, insurer, mortgage provider or financial adviser can raise many questions. The Kifid procedure is a route for many complaints about financial products and services. Kifid is the Klachteninstituut Financiële Dienstverlening (Dutch Financial Services Complaints Institute). It does not automatically handle every complaint. It is therefore sensible to first check whether your complaint and your financial service provider fall within the Kifid route.
In this article you will read how to carefully prepare a complaint, what you can submit via Mijn Kifid and which choices in a Kifid procedure require attention. This is general information. Whether Kifid can handle your complaint and which step is appropriate for your file depends on the current rules and the circumstances of your case.
Short answer: start with a written complaint to your service provider
Before you submit a complaint to Kifid, you must first have submitted the complaint in writing to your bank, insurer or other financial service provider. Kifid recommends a clear complaint letter stating what happened, why you disagree with the service provider and which remedy you are requesting.
Keep a copy of your complaint letter, relevant emails, policy terms or product terms, rejections and other documents that may clarify your position. This provides an overview if you later take the Kifid quick test or file a complaint.
Can Kifid handle your complaint?
Kifid can in many cases help with complaints about financial products or services. Examples include complaints about insurance, mortgages, payment services, credit registration with BKR (Bureau Krediet Registratie — Dutch Credit Registration Bureau), business credit or the conduct of a debt collection service provider.
That does not mean that every complaint will be taken up. Before submitting, therefore check the current conditions and, if necessary, take the Kifid quick test. Via the service providers register you can also check whether your financial service provider is affiliated.
| Checkpoint | Why this is important |
|---|---|
| Written complaint to the service provider | Kifid requires you to first submit the complaint to the financial service provider yourself. |
| Current Kifid rules | Admissibility and time limits depend on the applicable rules and your file. |
| Service provider | Not every organisation falls under the same Kifid route. |
| File documents | An orderly file makes clear what you are asking for and on what that request is based. |
Which documents should you prepare?
A careful file does not need to be unnecessarily extensive. Above all, collect documents that explain what happened and which remedy you are requesting. For online submission via Mijn Kifid, Kifid requests, among other things, details of the financial service provider, a description of the complaint, the desired remedy, an estimate of any financial loss, the type of complaint and relevant documents.
A practical preparation often consists of:
- a chronological overview of the main events;
- your earlier complaint to the financial service provider and its response;
- relevant contracts, policy terms, terms and conditions or statements;
- correspondence, screenshots, invoices or other documents that support your complaint;
- a brief description of the remedy you are requesting.
The contents of the file differ per complaint. An insurance dispute, for example, often requires different documents than a complaint about credit registration or a payment service.
How do you submit a complaint to Kifid?
You can submit a complaint online via Mijn Kifid. There you first create a personal account. You can then complete the online complaint form, add documents and track the progress of the handling.
For the online form, Kifid describes, among other things, these steps:
- You indicate whether you are acting for yourself or on behalf of someone else.
- You enter the details of the financial service provider.
- You describe your complaint, the desired remedy and any estimate of financial loss.
- You choose the type of complaint and add the documents requested by Kifid.
- You accept the privacy statement and check your details before sending.
Kifid states that you can no longer change your details after sending. Therefore check your attachments and description carefully before you finally submit the complaint.
If you do not wish to submit online, there is also a written route. Kifid then advises sending copies and no original documents, because documents will not be returned. For current forms and instructions, see the page How do I submit my complaint?.
What happens after you have submitted?
After submission, Kifid assesses, based on the current rules and your documents, whether and how the complaint can be handled. The precise next steps depend on the file. Kifid can request additional information and give the financial service provider an opportunity to respond. For up-to-date process information and rules, always consult the official Kifid pages and the applicable regulations.
It is sensible to process correspondence, new documents and requests from Kifid on time. Also keep your own copy of everything you submit. This helps you keep an overview of what is in your file.
Binding or non-binding decision: read the choice carefully
In a Kifid procedure, the choice between a binding or non-binding decision can have important consequences. Kifid explains that parties must comply with a binding decision of the Disputes Committee (Geschillencommissie) or the Appeals Committee (Commissie van Beroep). The choice can therefore have far-reaching consequences for the further handling of a dispute.
Do not make this choice based only on a general web page. Read Kifid’s current explanation of binding and non-binding advice and assess what consequences the choice may have in your own file.
When is legal assistance useful?
A Kifid procedure is intended as an accessible route, but some files are substantively or financially complex. This may arise, for example, with a rejected insurance claim, a discussion about policy terms, a BKR registration, a large financial interest or many medical, technical or financial documents.
Legal assistance can then help organise documents, clearly formulate the complaint and discuss possible next steps. The basic principle remains that the contents of the file and the current Kifid rules determine what is appropriate.
For an insurance dispute you can also read: Objection to insurer: what can you do after a rejection?. If your complaint concerns an arbeidsongeschiktheidsverzekering (AOV), this overview may help: AOV benefit rejected or terminated: what can you do?.
Frequently asked questions about the Kifid procedure
Do I have to first complain to my bank or insurer myself?
Yes. Kifid indicates that you must first submit your complaint in writing to the bank, insurer or other financial service provider. Keep the complaint and the service provider’s response for your file.
Can I add documents online?
Yes. Via Mijn Kifid you can upload documents with the online complaint form and later follow the handling. According to Kifid, check your details carefully before sending, because a submitted complaint can no longer be changed.
Can I also submit a complaint by post?
Yes. Kifid also offers written complaint forms. Send copies and no original documents. Consult the current Kifid instructions and forms before you send your file.
How do I know whether my service provider is affiliated with Kifid?
Use the current Kifid service providers register and take the Kifid quick test if in doubt. The outcome depends on your financial service provider, product and file.
Official sources
- Kifid — A financial complaint? Kifid can help in many cases
- Kifid — How do I submit my complaint?
- Kifid — Can Kifid handle my complaint?
- Kifid — Binding or non-binding advice
Need help?
Do you have a financial dispute and would you like to discuss which information is relevant to your file? Then contact Arslan Advocaten. We can discuss the available documents and possible next steps with you.
