Short answer: Use SEBI SCORES complaint online only after first complaining to the listed company or SEBI-regulated intermediary. Register on the official SCORES portal, choose the correct entity and grievance category, upload concise evidence, track the Action Taken Report, and request a review within the displayed time if the response is unsatisfactory. SCORES facilitates redress; it is not a court and does not guarantee compensation.
Contents
- What SCORES covers
- Checks before filing
- Registration and complaint steps
- Evidence and timelines
- First and second reviews
- When ODR or another route is appropriate
- Safety checklist and FAQs
What is SEBI SCORES?
SCORES is the Securities and Exchange Board of India’s online grievance-redress facilitation platform for securities-market complaints. It accepts grievances involving listed companies, registered intermediaries and market infrastructure institutions that fall within SEBI’s regulatory scope. Examples can include brokers, depository participants, mutual-fund entities, registrar and transfer agents, listed-company investor services and recognised market infrastructure.
The current portal is scores.sebi.gov.in. The old SCORES version stopped accepting new complaints from 28 March 2024. An investor with an old pending complaint may still need the old interface for that record, but a new grievance belongs on the current platform.
SCORES is a routing, monitoring and review system. The entity complained against responds through an Action Taken Report, commonly called an ATR. SEBI or a designated body can review handling, but private monetary disputes may ultimately require the securities-market Online Dispute Resolution mechanism, arbitration, a consumer forum or a court, depending on the issue.
Who should use SEBI SCORES complaint online?
Use SCORES when you are an investor with a specific, documented securities-market grievance against an entity regulated by SEBI and the entity has not resolved your prior complaint. A suitable complaint identifies the account or transaction, states what went wrong, shows what you already asked the entity to do and explains the remedy you seek.
Do not use SCORES for general banking complaints, insurance claims, pension matters, tax disputes or ordinary cybercrime reports. A failed bank grievance may belong under the RBI complaint route, while an active fraud needs immediate reporting to the bank and the cybercrime system. CheckMatter’s unauthorised bank transaction guide explains the separate RBI liability framework, and the digital-arrest scam guide covers urgent fraud reporting.
Complain to the entity first
SEBI’s official guidance says an investor should first approach the concerned company or intermediary through its designated grievance channel. This is not a box-ticking formality. It gives the regulated entity a chance to correct a ledger, transfer securities, explain a charge, process a redemption or supply a document.
Send a clear written complaint and preserve the acknowledgement. Include the client, folio or demat reference in masked form; the relevant date and amount; order, contract note or statement references; and the resolution requested. Avoid emotional accusations and unrelated history. If the entity has a ticket system, keep the ticket number and final reply.
When you later use SCORES, this prior correspondence helps establish that you attempted entity-level redress. It also prevents duplicate complaint chains that are difficult to reconcile.
What SCORES does not treat as a complaint
SEBI’s FAQ lists matters that may not be treated as SCORES complaints. These include grievances outside the securities market, anonymous or incomplete complaints, unsupported allegations, requests that are merely suggestions or information queries, sub-judice matters, disputes already pending in the securities-market ODR mechanism, and market intelligence about possible legal violations.
Market intelligence is different from an individual grievance. A tip about manipulation or insider trading may belong through SEBI’s market-intelligence channel, while a personal service failure may belong on SCORES. Do not label a speculation as a confirmed offence.
Information to prepare before registration
- PAN and the identity details required by the portal.
- A mobile number and email address you control.
- The exact legal name of the regulated entity.
- Client ID, folio, demat or account reference, masked where possible.
- Your first complaint to the entity and its reply or ticket.
- Contract notes, statements, transaction references or application records.
- A chronological summary with dates and amounts.
- A specific remedy: correction, release, explanation, transfer or reversal.
The official SEBI investor page currently says supporting documents may be uploaded as PDF files up to the portal’s stated limit. Check the live upload instruction because file rules can change. Combine only relevant pages, use descriptive filenames and redact unrelated account data.
How to register on SCORES
- Open the official SCORES domain directly.
- Select investor registration and read the privacy and consent information.
- Enter the required identity and contact details. The platform may fetch information from a KYC Registration Agency or ask you to complete the registration form.
- Complete the authentication steps shown by the official portal.
- Create credentials that are unique and store them securely.
- Sign in and review the profile before filing the grievance.
Never share an OTP, password or full PAN image with a caller claiming to be a SEBI officer. SCORES registration should be initiated by you on the official domain.
How to file a SEBI SCORES complaint online
- Choose Lodge Complaint or the current equivalent.
- Select the complaint category and nature that match the problem.
- Search for and select the correct regulated entity. Similar business names can refer to different legal entities.
- Enter transaction or account references and the date of the cause of action.
- Write a short factual description in chronological order.
- State when and how you complained to the entity.
- Describe the exact resolution you seek.
- Upload the essential supporting documents within the displayed format and size rules.
- Review for accuracy, submit, and save the generated registration number.
Do not submit the same grievance repeatedly because a reply is slow. Track the existing registration, answer any clarification request and use the review path when eligible.
Write a complaint that can be acted on
A useful complaint separates facts from conclusions. For example: “On 12 August, 50 units were debited from demat account ending 1234 after transfer request X. The receiving account did not receive them. I complained to the participant on 14 August under ticket Y. Its 22 August reply did not identify the transfer status. I request reconciliation and either completion or restoration of the securities.”
This is stronger than “The broker cheated me and SEBI must punish it.” The first version gives the entity and reviewer a traceable event and remedy. If you suspect fraud, state why and attach the evidence without declaring guilt as fact.
Time limit for lodging the complaint
SEBI’s current investor guidance says the complaint should ordinarily be lodged on SCORES within one year from the cause of action. A complaint beyond the limitation period may be rejected. Do not wait while repeatedly calling a branch or relationship manager. Preserve the first written complaint and move to SCORES when the entity-level process does not resolve the issue.
This one-year filing period is not a guarantee that every matter within a year is admissible. Jurisdiction, evidence, pending proceedings and the nature of the dispute still matter.
Track the Action Taken Report
After submission, use the registration number to follow the complaint. SCORES sends the grievance to the entity and tracks its response. Read the complete ATR and its attachments; a status such as “disposed” does not necessarily mean the remedy you requested was granted.
Compare the reply against your documents. Note whether the entity addressed each disputed transaction, supplied calculations and completed the promised action. Download or securely save the ATR before starting a review.
First-level and second-level review
The current SCORES portal describes a two-level review process. An investor can seek a first-level review within 15 days from receipt of the entity’s ATR. If still dissatisfied after the designated body’s response, a second-level review can be sought within 15 days from receipt of that ATR. Use the deadline displayed in your complaint account and act promptly.
A review is not a fresh place to introduce an unrelated dispute. Identify the precise gap: an unanswered issue, incorrect fact, missing ledger, unsupported conclusion or promised action that remains incomplete. Attach only new evidence that is necessary to explain the gap.
When to consider Online Dispute Resolution
ODR is a separate dispute-resolution mechanism for eligible securities-market disputes. It can involve conciliation and arbitration through the designated online platform. SCORES may facilitate grievance handling, but a claim requiring adjudication of liability or monetary relief may need ODR.
Do not maintain parallel proceedings on the same dispute without understanding the rules. SEBI’s FAQ excludes disputes already pending in ODR from SCORES complaint treatment. Read the official ODR terms, fees, limitation requirements and escalation sequence before proceeding. Independent legal advice may be appropriate for a large or complex claim.
Safety and privacy checklist
- Use scores.sebi.gov.in, not a sponsored look-alike link.
- Verify the entity’s legal name and SEBI registration.
- Redact unrelated PAN, bank and demat details.
- Never disclose an OTP, trading password, TPIN or card PIN.
- Do not pay a caller to “approve” or accelerate a complaint.
- Keep the registration number, ATRs, review requests and timestamps.
- Report active account compromise immediately through the appropriate financial and cybercrime channels.
What does not change
Filing on SCORES does not stop market loss, freeze an account or reverse a trade automatically. It does not replace exchange grievance mechanisms, depository processes, ODR, arbitration, consumer remedies or courts when those routes apply. It also does not make SEBI your personal legal representative.
Likewise, a company appearing on SCORES does not mean every complaint against it is valid. Evidence and applicable regulations determine the outcome.
Example
Meera submits a mutual-fund redemption request but the proceeds do not reach her bank. She writes to the asset-management company and receives an answer saying payment was processed, without a trace number. She checks her bank statement, saves the folio and request acknowledgement, and asks the company again for payment evidence. When the issue remains unresolved, she registers on SCORES, chooses the correct entity and category, uploads the correspondence and requests the payment reference or reprocessing. The ATR provides a failed-credit record and the payment is reissued. Meera closes the complaint only after confirming credit.
Final action checklist
- Confirm the entity is regulated by SEBI.
- Complain to the entity in writing first.
- Build a one-page chronology.
- Use the correct SCORES category and legal entity.
- Upload concise, redacted evidence.
- Save the registration number and ATR.
- Request a review within the portal deadline when justified.
- Use ODR or legal advice if adjudication is required.
Frequently asked questions
Is SCORES free?
SEBI provides the complaint-facilitation portal. Separate ODR or legal processes may have their own rules and costs.
Can I complain directly without contacting the entity?
Official guidance says investors should first approach the concerned entity. Keep its acknowledgement or final response.
Does SCORES award compensation?
SCORES facilitates and reviews grievance redress. A contested compensation claim may require ODR, arbitration or another adjudicatory forum.
Can I file about a bank or insurance policy?
Only if the matter falls within SEBI’s securities-market jurisdiction. Ordinary banking and insurance grievances use different regulators and schemes.
How long do I have to request review?
The current portal states 15 days after receipt of the relevant ATR for each review level. Follow the exact date shown in your account.
Can I email SEBI instead?
The SCORES portal states that grievances emailed to SEBI addresses are not entertained as portal complaints. Use the official complaint workflow.
Conclusion
A SEBI SCORES complaint online works best when it is timely, correctly routed and evidence-led. Complain to the entity first, identify the exact securities-market transaction, ask for a specific remedy and use the review windows carefully. Treat SCORES as one part of the investor-redress system, not a substitute for ODR or legal adjudication where those are necessary.
Author: CheckMatter Editorial Desk
Publication date: Proposed; not published
Updated date: 2 October 2026
Last verified: 2 October 2026
Correction history: No corrections; original draft.
Primary authority: Securities and Exchange Board of India
Official sources: SCORES portal; SEBI Investor SCORES guide; SCORES FAQ
Verification metadata:
_cm_verified_source_url: https://scores.sebi.gov.in/
_cm_source_authority: Securities and Exchange Board of India
_cm_effective_date: Portal process verified 2026-10-02
Disclaimer: General investor education, not legal, investment or dispute-resolution advice. Eligibility and remedies depend on the facts and current SEBI rules.
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