Complaints

Every concern deserves a record.

A fair route for service, payment, privacy, recruitment, opportunity, document, safety, and community concerns.

Operational procedure · Effective 22 August 2026

No retaliation

MSA will not retaliate against a client or seafarer for making a good-faith complaint, reporting a prohibited fee, questioning a document request, or approaching a competent authority.

1. How to complain

Use the contact route and select or state “Complaint.” Include the account email, case or Service Order number, dates, people involved, a clear description, the outcome requested, and non-sensitive supporting references. Do not place passport images, medical records, full payment-card details, passwords, or private keys in the public form; MSA will provide a protected route if evidence is needed.

2. Priority concerns

Mark a concern urgent if it involves suspected job fraud, trafficking, identity theft, forged records, a prohibited recruitment fee, passport retention, imminent travel based on a false opportunity, serious data exposure, threats, or immediate safety risk. Emergency or criminal danger should also be reported to the appropriate emergency service or competent authority.

3. Acknowledgement and handling

MSA should acknowledge a complaint within 3 business days, assign a reference and an investigator without a material conflict, preserve relevant evidence, and explain any information needed. MSA should aim to provide a reasoned outcome within 15 business days. Complex or third-party matters may take longer, but the complainant should receive an update and revised target.

4. Fair process

The review will consider the accepted Service Order, policies and version records, communications, audit events, payments, third-party evidence, and applicable mandatory rules. The person complained about should not make the final decision alone. Personal information will be limited to those who need it for investigation, advice, insurance, or lawful reporting.

5. Outcomes

Depending on the evidence, MSA may explain or correct a status, redo work, provide missing records, restrict access, remove content, refund an amount, terminate a provider relationship, improve a procedure, notify affected people, report to an authority, or decline the complaint with reasons.

6. Internal escalation

If dissatisfied, the complainant may request a second review within 14 days, identifying the factual or procedural issue. A different senior person should review the file and provide the final internal response. Internal review does not suspend a shorter mandatory deadline for court, regulator, chargeback, or other external action.

7. External rights

A complainant may approach the competent maritime, labour, consumer, data-protection, licensing, police, court, or alternative-dispute authority where applicable. MSA will identify a known competent authority in the final response when reasonably possible. These policies do not require a person to waive a mandatory right or use arbitration that they did not validly agree to.

8. Records and learning

MSA will keep a complaint register recording category, dates, risk, investigator, evidence, outcome, remedy, escalation, and improvement action. Records are retained under the Privacy Notice and periodically reviewed for repeated providers, misleading claims, security weaknesses, and prohibited-fee patterns.

Questions or rights requests

Contact MSA through the protected enquiry route.

Use the contact form for legal, privacy, cancellation, or complaint matters. Do not include passport numbers, medical information, or document copies in the public form.

Contact the agency