Lodging Bank Complaints - Banking and Financial Services Ombudsman

If you have been overcharged or otherwise suffered financial loss due to your bank (see article: Banks Behaving Badly), you should first contact your bank’s Customer Relations Dept.(1) to try to resolve the issue prior to lodging a complaint with the Banking and Financial Services Ombudsman (BFSO).

Failing that, the Banking and Financial Services Ombudsman is a free mediation service with the purpose of resolving disputes between individual and small business customers and their banks. This service is generally accessible for disputes where the losses claimed are less than $150,000.

An interpreting service is also provided for non-English speakers, and arrangements can be made for written material to be translated into English.

Customers who have enquiries or complaints relating to insurance, managed investments, financial planning and stockbroking can also contact the Insurance Enquiries & Complaints (IEC) or the Financial Industry Complaints Service (FICS) services on the same telephone number. These services are also provided free of charge.

Banking and Financial Services Ombudsman

Callers with Speech and Hearing Impediments

The BFSO also provide alternative numbers to allow for callers with a speech or hearing impediment to converse via text via the National Relay Service.

All free calls (within Australia): 1800 555 677
Calling from overseas: +61 7 3815 7799

Speech to Speech Relay:
All local and chargeable calls (within Australia): 1300 555 727
All free calls (within Australia): 1800 555 727
Calling Australia from overseas: +61 7 3815 8000

(1) Note: The contact details for most banks’ customer relations departments can be found in the "Members" section of the BFSO website: www.bfso.org.au

The Code of Banking Practice can also be downloaded from the BFSO website www.bfso.org.au under their "Publications" section