en:company:Whistleblowing Channels COM/EN

Integrity & Compliance

Whistleblower Channels.

SEAT advocates for a corporate compliance culture, binding itself by both domestic and international legislation, and by internal regulations of the Company and the Volkswagen Group. For this reason, we make available to employees, business partners and third parties, the following points of contact:

CUSTOMER CARE CONTACT

Do you have any concern or feedback regarding a SEAT product or service?

If you have any questions, inquiries, feedback, or complaints regarding SEAT and/or our Business Partners products (your new or used vehicle) or services (problems arisen with the workshop or the authorised dealer where you bought or had your vehicle repaired), please contact our Customer Care Contact via:

We kindly ask for your understanding that the Whistleblower System unfortunately cannot process customer complaints.

WHISTLEBLOWER SYSTEM

Our Whistleblower System

Complying with statutory regulations and internal rules and the principles laid down in our Code of Conduct and the Code of Conduct for Business Partners, has top priority at SEAT. The success of our company is based on Integrity and Compliance. To meet these standards, it is important to learn of potential employee or supplier misconduct and to put a stop to it. Therefore, the SEAT Analysis Office together with the Central Investigation Office at Volkswagen - hereinafter the Investigation Office - operates an independent, impartial and confidential Whistleblower System.

A key pillar of our Whistleblower System is the principle of procedural fairness. It also guarantees the greatest possible protection for whistleblowers, persons implicated and employees contributing to the investigation of reported misconduct.  

This also includes offering opportunities for anonymous reporting and communication. We assure not to perform any steps in order to identify anonymous whistleblowers, who do not misuse our Whistleblower System. Retaliation of whistleblowers and all persons who contribute to investigations at SEAT will not be tolerated. Persons implicated are presumed innocent until the violation is proven. Investigations will be conducted with the utmost confidentiality. The information will be processed in a fair, fast and protected process.

How do we process your report?

The employees at the Investigation Office examine every report for potential misconduct by Group employees thoroughly and follow it up systematically.  First, you will get a confirmation of receipt. The Investigation Office then assesses your report. This includes gathering facts particularly from the whistleblower. Only if this initial evaluation shows grounds for suspicion of a violation an investigation by a dedicated Investigating Unit will be started. Afterwards, the results of the investigation will be assessed by the Investigation Office and appropriate measures will be recommended. Information about the status* and the outcome of the procedure will be given to you without undue delay.

Potential violations of the Code of Conduct for Business Partners by suppliers, including serious risks and violations of human rights and environment by direct and indirect suppliers, can also be reported to the Investigation Office - as well as reports requiring otherwise immediate action. The Investigation Office will inform the responsible departments, who will process the issue accordingly. This particularly includes taking the necessary measures to minimize or end violations and/or risks.

* The processing time varies depending on the subject of the procedure

Find more information on the procedural principles of the Volkswagen Group Complaints Procedure here.

MAKING A REPORT TO OUR WHISTLEBLOWER SYSTEM

The Whistleblower System offers various channels to report potential employee misconduct that allow a swift review and reaction by our company if necessary. 

However, this does not affect the statutory right to contact designated authorities as described below.

SEAT Whistleblower Channels

Transparencia

The transparencia channels are internally managed by the SEAT Analysis Office which is part of the Compliance and Integrity department of SEAT.

It is possible to contact the SEAT Analysis Office by e-mail or by telephone:

  • E-mail: transparencia@seat.es
  • Telephone: +34 900 103 220 (working days from 8am to 3pm).

At the request of the informant, reports can be communicated by means of a face-to-face meeting within the maximum term of seven days.

The Local Ombudsman

Our local Ombudsman, Dr. David Velázquez, is a judge on leave of absence, independent lawyer and Doctor of Law who has been appointed for his extensive professional experience. He is bound by the oath of professional secrecy to keep strictly anonymous the identity of informants, if requested, and treat the data provided in the strictest confidence.

It is possible to contact our local Ombudsman by e-mail of telephone:

Volkswagen Group Whistleblower Channels

24/7 Hotline

You can make a report at 365 days, 24 hours, using the international toll-free number:

+800 444 46300*.

If your local telephone provider does not support the toll-free service, you can call the following chargeable number:

+49 5361 946300.

*Depending on the country you are calling from it is possible that the international toll-free hotline is not available since some telephone network providers do not support the service. If so, please use the offered chargeable number or your country specific number.

Country

Toll Free Number

Local Number

Brazil

0800-5912743

021-23911381

Mexico

001-800-4610242

0155-71000355

Slovak Republic

0800-002576

02-33325602

USA

833-6571574

908-2198092

South Africa

0800-994983

021-1003533

Malaysia

1-800-819523

0154-600099

Argentina

0800-6662992

011-52528632

Germany

0800 444 46300

05361-946300

Online Reporting Channel

You have the option of using a web-based communication platform https://www.bkms-system.com/bkwebanon/report/clientInfo?cin=22vwgroup16&c=-1&language=eng to contact the Investigation Office in many languages. This system is confidential and technically secured.

Even if your preferred language is not offered in the reporting channel, you can use any language to submit your report. You can also contact the Investigation Office in any language via e-mail or mail.

Ombudspersons

Volkswagen has appointed external lawyers to act as Ombudspersons. They advise on the Whistleblower System or ensure that reports from whistleblowers are forwarded anonymously to the Investigation Office if desired.

If you want to get in contact with the Ombudsperson you can find their contact details here: https://www.ombudsmen-of-volkswagen.com/

E-Mail

You can get in contact with the Central Investigation Office of Volkswagen via E-Mail:

io@volkswagen.de

Postal Address / In Person

Postal address:
Volkswagen AG, Central Investigation Office
Mailbox 1717
Berliner Ring 2
38436 Wolfsburg Germany

In person:
Please make an appointment in advance by writing an e-mail to io@volkswagen.de.

Do you have further questions or do you need a local contact?

Questions or suggestions for improvement concerning the Whistleblower System can also be addressed to the Investigation Office.

If you have been interviewed in terms of an investigation, you have the possibility to give feedback to the Ombudsperson as independent body.

Furthermore, the Responsible for the Local Whistleblower System / Compliance Officer ​can also be addressed at  transparencia@seat.es.  

External Reporting Channel in Spain

In Spain you can address reports on possible misconduct to the “Autoridad Independiente de Protección del Informante, A.A.I.”, authority granted with the functions of external reporting channel according to Law 2/2023, of February 20.

External Reporting Channel in Catalonia

In Catalonia, you can address your report to the “Oficina Antifraude de Cataluña”, the body to which Law 3/2023, of March 16, has provisionally assigned the functions of an external reporting channel.