This Complaints Policy outlines how Deriv Capital Contracts & Currencies L.L.C (“Deriv”) handles complaints. We aim to ensure that all complaints are handled in a fair and timely manner.
How to lodge a complaint
If you have a complaint, the most efficient way to communicate it to us is by sending an email to complaints@deriv.ae.
To help us investigate and resolve your complaint as quickly as possible, please include the following information in your email:
- Your account number
- A clear and detailed description of your complaint, including relevant dates, times, and specific transactions
- Supporting documentation, such as screenshots of your trading platform or system errors, to assist our investigation
Response timelines
We aim to address your concerns within the following timeframes:
- Acknowledgement of receipt: as soon as reasonably practicable.
- Response: Within 15 business days from receipt of the complaint.
If a complaint is particularly complex and cannot be resolved within the standard timelines above, we will provide you with a written update. This update will explain the status of the investigation and provide an expected timeframe for a final response. We will endeavour to keep you updated throughout the process.
We will maintain a comprehensive record of your complaint, including correspondence, documents, and actions taken, in accordance with regulatory requirements. These records will be kept confidential and managed securely.
Complaint referral
If you are unhappy with our final response, or if we have not resolved your complaint within the specified timeframe, you may refer your complaint for external dispute resolution.
Capital Market Authority
Deriv’s regulator, the Capital Market Authority (CMA), previously known as the Securities and Commodities Authority, offers a formal complaint resolution service. If you are not satisfied with our handling of your complaint, you have the right to submit it directly to the CMA for review via their official channels.
Financial Commission
You also have the option of referring your complaint to the Financial Commission, an alternative dispute resolution forum. The procedure is as follows:
1. Filing complaints
- You may file a complaint with the Financial Commission up to 45 days after the incident.
- The Financial Commission has 5 days to acknowledge that your complaint was received and 14 days to answer the complaint through our Internal Dispute Resolution (IDR) procedure.
- You will be able to file a complaint with the Financial Commission only if you are not satisfied with our decision or if the decision wasn’t made within the specified timeframe.
2. Investigation phase
- The Financial Commission will investigate the validity of the complaint within 5 business days.
- The Head of the Dispute Resolution Committee (DRC) will contact both you and us within 5 business days to obtain all necessary information and see if there is a chance to settle the complaint during the investigation phase.
- If no settlement opportunity can be found, the complaint will proceed to the determination phase to be handled by the DRC.
3. Determination phase
- The DRC will make a decision on the complaint.
- The DRC may request additional information from you or us, who must then provide the requested information within 7 days.
4. Awards and orders
- The decisions made by the DRC are binding on us. DRC decisions are binding on you only if you accept them.
- If you agree with a DRC decision, you will need to accept it within 14 days. If you do not respond to the DRC decision within 14 days, the complaint is considered closed.
- We must award the settlement within 28 days of when the decision is reached.
- If the decision is made in our favour, you must provide a release for us within 7 days of when the decision is made, and the complaint will be considered closed.
5. Disclaimer
The Financial Commission accepts appeals for 45 days following the date of the incident and only after the trader has tried to resolve the issue with the company directly.
Referral to other UAE authorities
If your complaint falls under the jurisdiction of a UAE regulatory body (such as the UAE Data Office for personal data concerns), we will notify you and request your approval to refer the case to that regulatory body.
- If you agree to the referral, we will transfer the case immediately and provide you with the referral date, the contact person's name, and their details.
- If you decline or do not respond within 10 business days, we will provide you with all relevant documentation and information so that you may choose to file the complaint with the regulatory body yourself.
In all cases, we will notify you promptly if an external authority is the correct venue for your specific concern.
General inquiries
For general questions regarding your trading account that do not constitute a formal complaint, our support team is available to assist you:
- Visit our Help Centre for FAQs and guides.
- Contact us via live chat on our website for real-time support.
