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Complaints Unit

Complaints management
When something goes wrong or our level of service has failed to meet your expectations, we need you to tell us about it - you have a right to complain and OHIM will investigate your complaint. Complaints are not dismissed lightly, nor will they result in any prejudice. We value all complaints as we aim to learn from any mistakes to be able to provide the best possible service. Complaints are handled by the Complaints Unit which is part of the User Contact Service within the OHIM’s Operations Support Department.

We generally consider a complaint to be a written expression of dissatisfaction with the services provided by OHIM and/or OHIM’s processes. The Complaints Unit does not however have the competence to answer complaints about the legal reasoning of the decisions granted by OHIM, including those of the Boards of Appeal. In case of disagreement with OHIM decisions, you are invited to file an appeal for decisions taken by CTM or RCD examiners.

If your complaint concerns issues relating to Human Resources (recruitment, selection procedure…), please address your query directly to our Human Resources Department – by post or by e-mail:candidatures.external@oami.europa.eu.

Before filing a complaint
Please consider contacting our Information Centre or e-Business support by phone or e-mail, as they can provide you with useful information or solutions to your problem. If you still feel dissatisfied with OHIM’s actions, proceed further and file an official complaint.

How to complain
The complaint can be submitted via e-mail – which is our preferred means of communication since it ensures that your complaint can be handled without any delay:
complaintsunit@oami.europa.eu

you can also send your complaint via fax:
+34 96 513 1344

or by post:
Complaints Unit
Operations Support Department
Office for Harmonization in the Internal Market (Trade Marks and Designs)
Avenida de Europa 4
E-03008 Alicante
Spain

Please provide the following information (where applicable), to allow us to identify and analyse your case:

• CTM/RCD file number 
• Identity of Complainant (name, surname)
• Address of Complainant (Street, City, Country, Phone No., e-mail)
• Reason for the complaint

What will happen next?

1. Upon reception of the complaint, the Complaints Unit will send an acknowledgement of receipt by e-mail, fax or post within one working day.
2. Your complaint will be dealt with swiftly with the appropriate departments and persons being contacted immediately so that a written response can be prepared.
3. We will send you a written response to your complaint approved by the Head of User Contact Service within 11 calendar days of sending you the acknowledgment of receipt.

What if you are still not satisfied?
Each complaint is treated individually. We sincerely hope that we are able to resolve your complaint. However if you are not satisfied with the outcome of the complaints process or the manner in which a complaint has been handled, please contact us again with your concerns. A review of the complaint and our response to you will then be undertaken by the Director of the Operations Support Department.

European Ombudsman

If you are a citizen of a Member State of the Union or reside in a Member State, you can also make a complaint to the European Ombudsman. The European Ombudsman investigates complaints about maladministration in the institutions and bodies of the European Union.

Any complaint lodged with the Ombudsman must be preceded by the appropriate administrative approaches to the OHIM.

For additional information please refer to: http://www.ombudsman.europa.eu  

Further information
If you need further information, you can contact the Complaints Unit by e-mail complaintsunit@oami.europa.eu or by  phone: +34 96 513 9100 (Mo-Fr, 9:00-13:00; 14:00-17:00)

OHIM strives to continually  improve the its level of services and is dedicated to a professional and functioning complaints procedure. Comments and suggestions in relation to our services are also always welcome.

We are guided by the ISO 10002:2008 Customer Satisfaction – Guidelines for complaints handling in organizations.