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Filing a complaint about the costs of consumer credit

If you think that the interest or other costs the lender charges you for are unfair, ask the lender to provide information on the reasons for the costs. You do not need to pay unjustified loan costs.

For businesses

You do not need to pay unjustified costs

You do not have to pay unjustified loan costs. Not paying unjustified costs will not give you a bad credit history, even if the company attempting to charge you or a debt collection agency threatens you with a payment default entry.

  • Consumer credit means credit a lender gives to a consumer as a loan, a right to pay later, or other similar financial arrangement. Consumer credit includes credit card loans, home and student loans, and payment by instalments.

    • Costs not mentioned in the credit contract. If the lender did not give you the contract in a permanent form when it was concluded, you have no obligation to pay any interest or fees.
    • Costs of text messages for which an additional fee is charged. Such messages may concern a loan application, decision on a loan, or possible postponement of a due date.
    • Loan costs that violate the regulation on credit prices:
      • If you concluded the credit contract on or after 1 October 2023 and the lender or the credit intermediary violates the regulation on maximum credit costs, you have no obligation to pay loan interest or other credit costs.
      • If you have agreed on or paid for service costs that are actually credit costs (such as fees for applying for credit, for making credit drawdowns and for paper invoicing), these costs must also be included in maximum credit costs. If the costs violate the regulation on maximum credit costs, you have no obligation to pay loan interest or other credit costs.
      • If you concluded the credit contract between 1 September 2019 and 30 September 2023 and the lender or the credit intermediary violates the regulation on maximum credit costs in force at that time, you have no obligation to pay loan interest or other credit costs.
      • If you concluded the credit contract between 1 June 2013 and 31 August 2019, you do not have to pay credit costs that are higher than those stated in the old provision on interest cap in the Consumer Protection Act. Under the old provision, the annual percentage rate of interest cannot be more than the reference rate plus 50 percentage points if the loan amount or credit limit is less than EUR 2,000.
      • If you concluded a credit contract on continuous credit before 1 October 2023, make new credit drawdowns under this credit contract after 1 October 2023 and the lender or the credit intermediary violates the valid interest rate cap, you have no obligation to pay loan interest or other credit costs for the period after 1 October 2023.

    Read more about credit prices

Unfair credit costs can be adjusted

Unfair credit costs can be adjusted, no matter when the credit contract was concluded. You can demand a reduction of costs based on both unfair costs and unclear contract terms. The demand should first be made to the lender.

File a complaint about unjustified costs

Follow these steps if you think the costs charged for your credit are unjustified:

  • You can leave the unjustified part of credit costs unpaid until it has been established that they are appropriate.

  • dispute your obligation to pay unjustified credit costs and recovery costs. When you dispute your obligation to pay and give proper reasons for this, the company may not continue to recover the disputed part of the costs until the matter has been examined.

  • request a review of the credit entry you think is incorrect.

    The Consumer Advisory Services can offer personal advice and instructions.

For businesses