The Consumer Defense Unit belonging to the MEF presented a report on the cases of complaints, queries and accusations received by the different sectors of the economy in the year 2023.
If a comparison is made with respect to last year, attendance decreased by 2.5% while in 2019 – during the pre-pandemic – the number of attendance was reduced by 22%. Among the categories that received the most complaints were financial services, services in general and products.
What happened to the financial and banking sector in 2023?
Within the attention of the financial service, a total of 4,259 were verified. Within the total, 946 corresponded to complaints about the Credit cards. Among the most relevant topics are unmade purchases, payment agreements and refinancing, and problems with customer service.
While complaints and claims for credit cards enter a niche financial and banking, Within the banks themselves, inquiries about savings accounts, loans and checking accounts stood out. Meanwhile, within the financial sector, services for purchases on credit with compliance and electronic money instruments stand out.
In 2022, complaints against banks and financial institutions increased 4%
At the end of last year the Central Bank of Uruguay (BCU) published a report on the complaints made to banks and financial institutions during 2022, where its growth was 4% compared to 2021 and 41% compared to 2020.
The BCU report indicated that the Superintendence of Financial Services received 462 complaints during 2022, compared to 446 received in 2021 and 327 in 2020. This means an interannual increase of 4% compared to 2021 and 41% compared to 2020. While, if compared to 2018 , the complaints They obtained an increase of 85%.
Regarding the solutions provided by the BCU, the report indicates that it was able to resolve 8% more compared to the previous year and 31% more compared to 2020. Regarding complaints, 33% correspond to incorrect transfersis followed by the category of “others” with 20% and another 17% for ignorance of operations. Finally, they are followed by improper charges and the request for information to the Risk Center with 12% each and the ATMs with 6%.
The banks They were the institutions that received the most complaints, with 251 of the total of 307 complaints made. They are followed by credit administrators which, according to the report, had been decreasing since 2017 with 20% until reaching 10% in 2021, although in 2022 it increased by 18%, going from 29 to 55 complaints received.
Source: Ambito
