Processing of complaints
The Complaints Board has a permanent secretariat (administrative office) which is completely impartial in relation to the parties in a complaints case.
Complaints are processed in the secretariat by permanantly engaged attorneys. The secretariat will try to reach an amicable solution on the basis of the provisions of Norwegian law and on any previous decisions passed by the Complaints Boards.
If the secretariat is unable to reach a solution and the complaint is upheld, it will be submitted to a board of seven members. The chairman of the Board is a highly qualified member of the legal profession who is impartial in relation to both parties in the case, and is appointed by the consumer side and the finance institiutions jointly. Two board members are appointed by the finance institutions and two members by the consumer side. The last two board members are impartial and selected jointly.
As long as a complaint is being dealt with by the Board, neither party may bring the case before the ordinary courts. However, this does not prevent any legal enforcement from taking place, or interim court order in order to secure a claim.
The Board will pass a decision on a complaint, basing its findings on ruling Norwegian law, and will issue a statement specifying the underlying reasons for the decision. The statement will show whether the decision has been unanimous. If any of the board members have been in disagreement with the decision, the statement will identify such members.
Decisions made by the Board are advisory for the parties. If an institution does not intend to comply with the decision of the Board, the institution must submit a report specifying the reasons for refusal within a specified period.
You can find more details in the Rules of Procedure for the Norwegian Financial Services Complaints Board.
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