Something went wrong. Here is how to actually complain.

Step one, which you cannot skip

Take the complaint to the entity itself first. Every SEBI regulated firm must have designated officials handling compliance and investor grievances, and their contact details must be published.

This is not merely polite. It is a prerequisite. You cannot escalate to the dispute resolution mechanism without having raised it with the intermediary first.

Put it in writing, keep the reference number, and state clearly what happened, when, and what outcome you want. A specific ask resolves faster than a general grievance.

Step two: SCORES

If the firm does not resolve it, lodge a complaint on SCORES, the SEBI Complaints Redress System, at scores.sebi.gov.in. It covers listed companies, registered intermediaries and market infrastructure institutions.

The current version, SCORES 2.0, has fixed timelines and automatic escalation. Here is the actual sequence.

The timelines are real. In June 2026, entities submitted their action taken reports in an average of four days, and first level reviews averaged eight days. SEBI disposed of 5,037 complaints that month.

Step three: Online Dispute Resolution

SCORES facilitates redressal. It does not adjudicate a dispute between you and the entity. Where there is a genuine dispute over facts or money owed, the route is Online Dispute Resolution through the SMART ODR portal at smartodr.in.

You register with your PAN, email and mobile, file the dispute against the named intermediary, choose a category and upload documents. Again, you must have raised the matter with the intermediary first.

The process begins with a pre-conciliation stage, where the platform contacts both parties to try to reach an agreement without formal proceedings. Many disputes end here. If not, it moves to conciliation and then, if required, arbitration.

SEBI treats a complaint as disposed of on SCORES if you choose to move it to ODR, so these are alternative routes rather than a queue.

This is being revised

SEBI issued a consultation paper in July 2026 proposing a significant overhaul. The main proposals are to transfer administration of ODR from ODR institutions to market infrastructure institutions, meaning the exchanges and depositories, to revise how arbitrators and conciliators are appointed, and to refer complaints unresolved on SCORES directly to the conciliation stage after review.

SEBI estimates the last change alone could cut about 21 days from the overall timeline. This is a consultation, so the framework above remains the current position.

Practical notes

• Keep your contract notes and statements. A complaint with dates, amounts and documents is resolved differently from one without.
• Note the one year limit from when the cause arose. Do not sit on it.
• Track it. SCORES lets you follow the status, and the review windows are short. Missing a 15 day review window closes that route.
• Give feedback after closure. You have 15 days, and it feeds into how the system is assessed.
• SCORES is not a court. For adjudication, use ODR, and consumer courts or civil remedies remain available.

The broader point: the ecosystem has more investor protection built into it than most people use. Knowing the escalation path exists changes how you deal with a firm in the first place. See choosing a broker.