The President of the Office of Competition and Consumer Protection (UOKiK) has issued a commitment decision requiring Bank Pekao S.A. to remedy long-standing violations in its complaint-handling procedures. UOKiK found that the bank routinely exceeded statutory deadlines for responding to complaints and failed to provide meaningful explanations for delays. Pekao S.A. has allocated nearly PLN 100 million for compensation to affected customers.
Systemic Delays and Insufficient Justification
Numerous consumer reports indicated that, between 2021 and 2023, the bank failed to respond to complaints within legally required timelines. UOKiK determined that these were not isolated incidents but part of a systemic practice, with delays exceeding 60 days and, in some cases, extending beyond a year.
“Keeping clients in prolonged uncertainty about matters involving their finances is unacceptable,” said UOKiK President Tomasz Chróstny. “Such practices may have seriously violated consumer rights and undermined trust in banks as public-trust institutions.”
Customers often received generic notifications extending deadlines without substantive reasoning, limited to vague statements about internal procedures or the complexity of the case. Many consumers described repeated, unfulfilled assurances from customer service staff. In many instances, explanations merely paraphrased statutory requirements, creating the misleading appearance of compliance.
Compensation and Eligibility
Compensation will be awarded to customers whose complaints submitted between 2019 and 2023 were not answered within the statutory 30-day period. The amount depends on whether the complaint was ultimately upheld or rejected and on the length of the delay. For positively resolved complaints, compensation will amount to PLN 300 or PLN 600. For complaints rejected after the deadline, consumers will receive PLN 1,500 or PLN 2,500. Customers who filed multiple complaints will receive a single payment equal to the highest applicable amount.
Pekao S.A. has reserved nearly PLN 100 million for these payments.
Payment Procedure
Consumers may take action once the decision becomes final. From the date Pekao S.A. receives the decision, it will have one month to prepare and then three months to notify all eligible customers. Current clients will be contacted via the bank’s usual communication channels, while former clients will receive a letter at their last known address. Notifications will be repeated twice.
To receive payment, customers must confirm acceptance and provide tax information within six months of receiving the bank’s notice. As the compensation is taxable, payments will be made only after the bank obtains the necessary data. Customers will later receive a PIT-11 form for their annual tax return. Former clients must also provide a bank account number.
Right to Reconsideration
Customers whose complaints were previously rejected may request reassessment once they receive the bank’s notification. Receiving compensation or seeking reconsideration does not limit their right to pursue further claims through court or alternative dispute resolution mechanisms.