The Hellenic Ombudsman for Banking-Investment Services (H.O.B.I.S.) is a private, non-profit entity which was set up on July 1, 2005, following the merger of the Banking Ombudsman and the Investment Ombudsman. It considers fairly, impartially and openly, disputes arising from the provision of banking and investment services, aiming at their amicable settlement.
 
 

Who can the Hellenic Ombudsman for Banking-Investment Services help?
 

• Consumers, professionals and small enterprises (annual turnover of less than € 1 million) conducting businesses with banks, except those active in the areas of agriculture, forestry, fishing and transport.
   

• Investors (individuals and legal entities)conducting businesses with investment companies, provided it is not related to their professional activities.

 
  
What type of disputes can the Hellenic Ombudsman for Banking -Investment Services consider?

• Disputes arising from the provision of banking services (such as deposits, loans and cards) and of investment services (such as shares, mutual funds and bonds) by banks and investment service providers (i.e. brokerage firms, mutual fund management companies and portfolio investment companies) which are established in Greece and are participants in or associates of the H.O.B.I.S. scheme.
   

• Cross-border disputes, in the H.O.B.I.S.' s capacity as a member of FIN-NET (the Cross-Border Out-of-Court Complaints Network for Financial Services). The H.O.B.I.S. provides consumers residing in Greece with information and assistance for the settlement of disputes arising in the context of their transactions with other EU and EEA member states' banking or investment service providers. The H.O.B.I.S. also considers and seeks to resolve complaints referred to it by consumers of other EU and EEA member states regarding problems arising from their transactions with banking and investment service providers established in Greece which participate or are associated members of the H.O.B.I.S. scheme.

 
 
The Hellenic Ombudsman for Banking-Investment Services cannot deal with:
 

• Complaints referred to the H.O.B.I.S. that have not been taken up with the service provider concerned first.
   

• Complaints referred to the H.O.B.I.S. where more than one month has passed since (a) the response of the service provider 's Customer Service Department or (b) the expiry of the ten (10) working days' deadline without a response.
   

• Complaints referred to the H.O.B.I.S. where more than three months have passed since the event the complaint relates to, unless you prove that you could not, with reasonable diligence, have become aware of it until a later time. In any case, the H.O.B.I.S. does not deal with complaints referred to it where more than a year has passed since the event occurred.
   

• Complaints that are or have been the subject of proceedings before a court of law.
   

• Complaints involving criminal offences prosecuted ex officio.
   

• Complaints that have been previously dealt with by the H.O.B.I.S., unless there exist new evidence.
   

• Complaints regarding the service provider 's business policy (e.g. invoicing, loan approvals etc.).
   

• Issues concerning a bank 's decisions while acting in the capacity of an executor of a will, trustee or official receiver.
   

• Complaints concerning disputes that have in the meantime been settled between the parties concerned.
   

• General information regarding banking or investment service providers and their services.

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