Consumer credit marketing
Regional State Administrative Agencies can intervene in false advertising of consumer credit. You can let us know if you suspect that consumer credit is being advertised unlawfully.
Frequently asked questions
Email the registry of the competent Regional State Administrative Agency and explain your concerns in your own words. The competent Regional State Administrative Agency is the one in whose jurisdiction the lender operates. A link to the contact information of Regional State Administrative Agencies’ registries is provided at the bottom of this page.
Make sure to include information about the lender and the channels in which they have advertised. You can also append a copy of the advertisement or other evidence of the potentially unlawful marketing practice to your report.
Consumer credit refers to all forms of credit offered by businesses to consumers. Examples include
- credit cards,
- mortgages and student loans,
- instalment credit, and
- payday loans.
Consumer credit is provided by lenders such as banks and other financial institutions. Consumer credit can also be advertised or sold through brokers.
There are two main types of consumer credit: instalment credit and revolving credit. Lenders have a legal obligation to observe the relevant regulations and responsible lending practices in all aspects of the lender–debtor relationship. Lenders also have a responsibility to ensure that their advertisements, for example, include all the information that must be disclosed to consumers under the Finnish Consumer Protection Act.
We work together with the Finnish Competition and Consumer Authority to ensure the legality of consumer credit marketing and credit agreements. Regional State Administrative Agencies also keep a register of lenders and peer-to-peer loan brokers.
We can report lenders who fail to react to our warnings about non-conformances in their marketing practices to the Finnish Competition and Consumer Authority. The Finnish Competition and Consumer Authority can order a lender to discontinue an unlawful practice or risk being fined.
You should first contact the Consumer Advisory Service. You can find the contact information on the Finnish Competition and Consumer Authority’s website. Regional State Administrative Agencies mostly deal with the registration of lenders, and we do not have the authority to get involved in contractual disputes between consumers and lenders. We can, however, intervene in unlawful credit marketing.