Association for the Defense of Users of Banking and Financial Services

Adusbef (Associazione Difesa Utenti Servizi Bancari e Finanziari) is an Italian consumer-protection association founded on 13 May 1987 by a group of technicians who worked mainly in banks and insurance companies. Its original purpose was to defend citizens against abuses and misconduct in the credit, financial and insurance system, at a time when consumer protection in banking was still in its infancy and there was no law on banking transparency. The association is headquartered in Rome, in via Bachelet 12, and is registered with Italy's National Council of Consumers and Users (CNCU) among the most representative consumer associations. Adusbef is particularly specialized in banking, financial, insurance, postal, telecommunications and transport issues. It offers free telephone advice to anyone who contacts it, regardless of membership, and receives members at its offices for assistance, specific opinions and document analysis. It carries out studies and research, publishes the periodical Risparmio & Futuro (published since 1988), and has issued publications such as "Come sfruttare la banca" (Edizioni L'Altritalia, 1994) and "Guida all'uso della Banca" (Editori Riuniti, 1996). Since 1994 it has conducted studies on the banking systems of many Italian regions, and it has taken part in an international project financed by the European Commission on European banking and insurance services. The association is active throughout Italy, with regional and provincial branches. According to its Wikipedia entry, it has around 130 local offices in all Italian regions except Valle d'Aosta, 180 provincial delegations and 67,000 members. It is a member of FUBE (Federazione Utenti Bancari Europei), founded in 1996 together with associations from Spain (AICAR-ADICAE), France (AFUB), the Netherlands (Consument & Geld Zaken) and the United Kingdom (National ABC). Adusbef has fought numerous legal and public campaigns. It challenged banks over anatocism (compound interest on current accounts), helped citizens renegotiate excessive fixed-rate mortgage interest, won court cases annulling hundreds of "capestro" contracts on Cirio, Parmalat and Argentine bonds, and denounced misconduct linked to the "furbetti del quartierino" affair involving former Bank of Italy Governor Antonio Fazio and Consob president Cardia. It has also addressed usurious mortgages, rising current-account management costs, the Bipop-Carire case, the Argentine bond affair and the RC Auto cartel of 39 insurance companies. Its president is lawyer Antonio Tanza; until 2017 the president was Elio Lannutti. The association states that it relies exclusively on members' contributions and refuses private funding that could condition its activity.

Adusbef was founded on 13 May 1987 by a group of technicians who worked mainly in banks and insurance companies, with the aim of defending citizens from abuses and misconduct in the credit, financial and insurance system. At the time, consumer protection in banking was embryonic: bank users could be harassed and mistreated, and guarantees could be signed blank and filled in later. There was no law on banking transparency. Only five years later, on 27 February 1992, Law 154/92 on transparency of banking operations was introduced. The Italian Banking Association (ABI) tried to avoid such a law by adopting an internal self-regulation code, which Adusbef managed to dismantle and ridicule through daily incursions into bank branches. Adusbef intervened by denouncing bank behavior in the Lombardfin, Enimont and Imi-Sir cases. It directed its activity to force banks to higher levels of transparency, insurance companies to more adequate relations with users, and supervisory authorities Consob, Isvap and Bankitalia to more incisive action to protect citizens' rights. The association tackled the issue of usurious mortgages, anatocistic interest on bank current accounts, the continuous rise in bank account management costs burdened by new charges, the Bipop-Carire case, the Argentine bonds placed by banks with savers, contributed to the conviction of the cartel of 39 insurance companies regarding RC Auto (with premiums rising 95% in six years), and identified improper charges on Telecom bills such as the "bell tax" for hearing the phone ring. Adusbef is specifically specialized in problems related to users of the banking and insurance sector, but over time it integrated its activity thanks to members with various specializations also in the postal and telephone sectors. This pushed the association to produce analyses, criticisms and proposals both in its periodical Risparmio & Futuro, published since 1988, and in publications: "Come sfruttare la banca" (Edizioni L'Altritalia, 1994) and "Guida all'uso della Banca" (Editori Riuniti, 1996). Since 1994 it has carried out studies on the banking system of many Italian regions; in particular the one relating to Lazio (updated annually) has been included since 1997 in projects for the Lazio Region. Adusbef has conducted studies on national banking and insurance systems, as well as detailed studies on the financial systems of some provinces, participating in an international project (financed by the European Commission) on European banking and insurance services. It offers free telephone consultations to all who turn to it, regardless of membership. Central telephone assistance operates throughout the working day. It receives members at its offices who need assistance, specific opinions, document analysis, etc. Adusbef has repeatedly intervened with the Ministry of Economy and Finance to denounce manifestly vexatious situations or to raise problems of general importance, and is often consulted in hearings before parliamentary committees. The association participates in conferences, round tables and other initiatives on credit, financial and insurance sector problems. It collaborates with many magazines through fixed columns and continuous interventions on topics and problems related to its fields of action. Adusbef is active nationally, organized into regional and provincial branches. In addition to the national headquarters in Rome, the association has about 130 local offices in all Italian regions except Valle d'Aosta. It is a member of FUBE (Federazione Utenti Bancari Europei), founded in 1996 with associations from Spain (AICAR-ADICAE), France (AFUB), the Netherlands (Consument & Geld Zaken) and the United Kingdom (National ABC), operating in the banking, financial and insurance sectors. The association has focused its efforts not only on assisting individual consumers but also on launching awareness campaigns and tackling cases of national importance through its professional members. In the second half of 2004, Adusbef was active on the price front: from gasoline to electricity and gas tariffs, from carobanca to RC Auto insurance. The absence of institutional control actions allowed operators to transfer capital from users to intermediaries. On 16 September, citizens-consumers were called by Intesaconsumatori to the fourth "strike" (sciopero) of... [text truncated in source]. According to its Wikipedia entry, the president is lawyer Antonio Tanza; until 2017 the president was Elio Lannutti. Adusbef is registered with the National Council of Consumers and Users among the most representative associations and has 180 provincial delegations and 67,000 members.

• Adusbef founded by a group of technicians working mainly in banks and insurance companies.

• Periodical Risparmio & Futuro first published.

• Law 154/92 on transparency of banking operations introduced after Adusbef's campaigning.

• Publication of 'Come sfruttare la banca' (Edizioni L'Altritalia); start of studies on regional banking systems.

• Publication of 'Guida all'uso della Banca' (Editori Riuniti); co-founding of FUBE (Federazione Utenti Bancari Europei).

• Lazio banking system study included in projects for the Lazio Region.

• Active on price front (gasoline, electricity, gas, RC Auto); participated in Intesaconsumatori's fourth 'strike' on 16 September.

• Elio Lannutti's presidency ends; Antonio Tanza becomes president.

Independent consumer association specialized in banking and financial services, relying exclusively on members' contributions and refusing private funding.

• Risparmio & Futuro

  Periodical published since 1988.

• Come sfruttare la banca

  Published by Edizioni L'Altritalia, 1994.

• Guida all'uso della Banca

  Published by Editori Riuniti, 1996.

• Furbetti del quartierino

Read more

• Legal battles against anatocism
• Mortgage interest renegotiation
• Cirio, Parmalat and Argentine bond contracts
• RC Auto cartel
• Telecom bill charges
• Strade Sicure

1. 1Adusbef - Associazione Difesa Utenti Servizi Bancari Finanziari Postali e Assicurativiadusbef.it
2. 2Adusbef - Chi siamoadusbef.it
3. 3Associazione per la Difesa degli Utenti dei Servizi Bancari e Finanziari - Wikidatawikidata.org
4. 4Adusbef - Wikipediait.wikipedia.org