Ombudsmann-Tätigkeitsbericht 2015

6
6.2 The private commercial banks’
Ombudsman Scheme
The Ombudsman Scheme
The ombudspersons themselves:
After more than 13 years of committed and successful
service, Werner Weiß, former presiding judge at the
Munich Higher Regional Court and senior justice
ministry official in Bavaria, retired as an ombudsman
The Association of German Banks has six ombudspersons
– retired senior judges and ministry officials. Use of the
Ombudsman Scheme is free of charge for customers,
on 31 March 2015. He was succeeded on 1 April 2015
by Dr Peter Frellesen, former deputy presiding judge of
Civil Panel VIII at the German Federal Court of Justice.
and the ombudspersons are independent and impartial.
They make their decisions solely according to the law,
taking due account of the principles of fairness and
justice. If customers are successful with their complaint,
Dr Gerhart Kreft, former presiding judge of Civil Panel
IX at the German Federal Court of Justice, has been
serving as an ombudsman since October 2004.
they obtain redress or remedial action without the need
for any lengthy and time-consuming litigation. Banks
have undertaken to accept ombudsperson decisions
in disputes involving amounts up to EUR 10,000. The
Ekkehard Bombe, former president of the Wiesbaden
Regional Court and judge at the Constitutional Court of
Hesse, took up office as an ombudsman in January 2006.
limitation period for customers’ claims is suspended
on the basis of the relevant statutory limitation
provisions for the duration of the Ombudsman Scheme
proceedings. In addition, complainants are not bound
by the ombudsperson’s decision, so that they can still
Dr Gerda Müller, former presiding judge of Civil Panel
VI and vice-president of the German Federal Court
of Justice, was appointed the Association of German
Banks’ first ombudswoman in August 2009.
pursue the matter further before a court of law after
the decision has been announced.
Dr. Rainer Mößinger, former president of the Hanau
Regional Court and deputy member of the Constitutional
The ombudspersons
Court of Hesse, joined the ombudsperson team in June
2010.
The high level of public acceptance that the private
commercial banks’ Ombudsman Scheme enjoys is due
to a great extent to the quality of the ombudspersons
themselves. These are former senior judges or legal
professionals whose personality and proven expertise
Angelika Lange, former deputy presiding judge of a
panel at the Frankfurt am Main Higher Regional Court
dealing mainly with banking matters, became the
second ombudswoman in September 2011.
ensure impartial proceedings.
72 Tätigkeitsbericht 2015