What to do if your AIX payments have stopped

1. Gather your documents first

Do this before anything else, and do it today. Access to online portals and inboxes can change, and reconstructing records later is far harder than saving them now.

• Your signed contract or contracts, in full
• Your coupon schedule, coupon book, or equivalent payment schedule
• Every payment confirmation you have received
• Every message about a delay, kept in the form it arrived
• Bank records showing the payments you received, and the period since they stopped
• Any cheques you hold, including expired ones
• Screenshots of your investor dashboard, particularly the contracts and payments sections

Work from copies and keep originals untouched. Where an email matters, keep the original message rather than a photograph of the screen: the original carries technical information that a screenshot loses.

2. Put your position in writing

Phone calls leave no record. From here on, put everything in writing and keep every reply with its date.

• State which payments are due, and the dates they fell due
• Ask for a specific date on which payment will be made
• Stick to what you are owed and when. Avoid characterising the company or its motives
• Keep your own tone measured, whatever theirs is

A dated written record is the foundation every later step rests on, whether that step is a regulator, a lawyer, or a court.

3. Read your own contract carefully

Your options depend on your own paperwork more than on anything else. Look for:

• Which entity you actually contracted with. The company that sold you a product and the entity that issued it are not always the same
• The governing law the contract specifies
• The courts the contract names as having jurisdiction
• The clauses covering payment of coupons and repayment at maturity

Investors holding products under the same brand do not always hold the same contract. Check your own documents rather than assuming your position matches someone else's.

4. Use the official channels

Investors in the UAE have official channels available to them, and using them is your right. Our official channels page sets out what exists and links to each one.

Practical points that save time:

• The Dubai Police eCrime portal serves Dubai residents. If your residency is registered in another emirate, use the federal Ministry of Interior channel instead
• The MOI portal accepts images rather than PDF documents, so photograph what you need to submit
• Government portals frequently reject special characters in text fields and in file names. Keep both plain, with no parentheses, plus signs, or curly quotes
• Record every reference number, receipt and confirmation you are given
• File about your own contracts, in your own name

5. Consider independent legal advice

If you are considering formal steps, get your own advice from a qualified firm. Our finding a lawyer page lists some established UAE firms as a starting point for your own research. Ask about fees in writing, and ask each firm to confirm it has no conflict of interest before you instruct anyone.

6. Talk to other investors

Comparing notes helps. Other investors can tell you what they have been told, what they have tried, and how the official procedures worked in practice. A private, verified group of AIX investors exists for exactly this, it is free, and you can apply to join.

8. What not to do

• Do not pay anyone who promises to get your money back
• Do not delete anything. Emails, messages and documents you think are unimportant may matter later
• Do not rely on verbal promises. Ask for the same thing in writing
• Be careful what you write publicly. In the UAE, online statements about a company can carry legal risk even when they are true. Keep strictly to facts about your own experience, avoid characterising any company, and do not name individuals

Common questions

My payments have stopped. Does that mean my capital is gone?

No one can honestly tell you that, and you should be cautious of anyone who claims to know. What you can do is preserve your records, put your position in writing, use the official channels available to you, and take your own legal advice.

Should I keep waiting?

That is your decision and it depends on your own contract and circumstances. It is worth knowing that waiting is not cost free: records can become harder to obtain over time, and legal steps can be subject to time limits. If timing matters to you, ask a lawyer about the deadlines that apply to your own contract.

Can I get my money back?

Nobody can promise that, and anyone who does, particularly in exchange for a fee paid upfront, should be treated with great caution. What investors can do is pursue the channels their own contract and the law make available to them.

Is it worth complaining to a regulator?

Using an official channel is every investor's right, and a complaint creates a dated, official record of your position. Whether any particular complaint leads to a particular outcome is not something anyone can guarantee.

Should I post about it publicly?

Be careful. In the UAE, online statements about a company can carry legal risk even when they are true. If you do write publicly, keep strictly to facts about your own experience, avoid characterising any company or naming individuals, and consider taking advice first.