Regulation 4/2016 issued by the ASF authorizing the Alternative Resolution of Non-Banking Litigation-(SAL-FIN) Litigation Entity. “As of 19 July 2016 consumers of non-bank financial products who are in disputes with non-bank financial product traders may apply free of charge to the new alternative dispute resolution entity arising from the contractual relationship between it and the trader of such services SAL-FIN. Where expertise, translations of documents or other additional evidence are requested for the settlement of the dispute, the costs shall be borne by the party requesting them. Access to SAL-FIN procedures can be achieved both via the www.salfin.ro website and using classical methods, on paper or on another durable medium.

Consumers may contact the AMR-Fin Technical Secretariat which provides information to the parties and provides support to consumers in completing dispute resolution requests. Consumers can choose between two types of alternative dispute resolution procedures:

• proposing a solution
• imposing a solution

Consumers may access AMR procedures only if they prove that they have previously tried to resolve the dispute directly with the concerned trader. By this condition, it ensures that there is good will in the amicable resolution of the dispute between the two parties. The request for a resolution of the dispute shall be rejected by the Technical Secretariat if the consumer has not submitted the complaint to the AMR-FIN within one year of the date on which he, as the case may be, submitted the complaint to the trader or from the date of the offence giving rise to the dispute or, in the case of continuous acts, from the date of their termination. If the dispute is not within the jurisdiction of the SAL-Fin, the consumer may apply to another SAL entity.

Forms used by the consumer in relation to SAL-Fin as well as detailed information on this alternative dispute resolution procedure can be downloaded from the www.salfin.ro website.