Banking customers in La Rioja submitted 208 complaints to the Bank of Spain in 2025, a 70.3% decrease compared to the previous year. Fraud has become the main reason for complaints, with 69 cases, an increase of 115.6%.
Banking customers in La Rioja filed 208 complaints with the Bank of Spain during 2025, representing a 70.3% decline from the previous year, according to data published by the supervisor and reported by larioja.com. The drop is mainly explained by the collapse of complaints related to mortgage formalisation fees, which had previously generated a high volume of cases.
However, complaints regarding fraud increased by 115.6% and became the top reason for complaints in the region, with 69 cases, accounting for 33.2% of the total. This rise positions fraud as the most recurrent issue among users in La Rioja, far exceeding other categories.
Of the total complaints, 81 were accepted for processing, while the 127 remaining were not analysed by the supervisor as they did not meet the admission requirements. La Rioja records the highest proportion of accepted complaints in Spain, with 38.9% of cases received.
The second reason for complaints was formalisation fees, with 39 cases (18.8% of the total) and a drop of 93.2%. This decline is linked to the reduced number of complaints on an issue that had caused an avalanche of cases and, in many instances, fell outside the agency's remit as it was related to potential abusive clauses and general consumer legislation.
In third place are complaints regarding commissions and fees, with 25 cases (12% of the total) and an increase of 8.7%. They are followed by those related to information and documentation, with ten cases (4.8%), and those concerning delays, neglect, and poor service, with nine (4.3%), an increase of 200%. There were also nine complaints related to interest, a rise of 12.5%. The remaining reasons had much less weight: linked products generated seven complaints; cancellations, six; and blocking, granting, and securities, three in each case. Two cases were recorded for money laundering, withdrawal, guarantees, and insurance, while other categories accounted for a single case each.
By product, cards accounted for 30.3% of complaints in La Rioja, in line with the 31.4% for Spain as a whole. The second place goes to accounts, transfers, and debits, with 25.5%, compared to 28.8% nationally. Mortgage loans reached 32.2% of complaints, compared to 22.2% for the country overall. Personal loans make up 6.7%, while other products account for 5.3%.
The Bank of Spain reminds that filing a complaint does not necessarily mean that the agency will study the substance of the issue. It must first verify that the case meets the admission requirements. Among the reasons for inadmissibility is the need to refer the case to the customer service of the entity itself (18.1%). Another 7.1% corresponds to cases with incomplete information, and 3.9% were transferred to other agencies. The remaining reasons account for 70.9%.
The complaints service does not function as a tribunal nor imposes compensation on the customer, but issues an assessment of the entity's actions.
The agency states that the first step in addressing a problem with a banking product or service is to complain to the customer service of the entity itself. If the response is unsatisfactory or does not arrive within the appropriate timeframe, the customer can turn to the supervisor's complaints service.
The Bank of Spain can analyse issues related to banking transparency, customer protection, and good practices in products such as current accounts, cards, mortgages, consumer loans, or payment services. Examples that fall within its remit include the charging of a fee not contemplated in the contract or certain changes in conditions made without the necessary prior information.
Between 2021 and 2024, the supervisor's reports were accepted by the entities in 80% of cases, making this free route an alternative before going to court.
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