At AFCA, we help you find a fair outcome to a problem with your financial firm – like your bank, insurer or super fund. As a financial ombudsman service, we provide a free service to help you and your financial firm find a solution.
If you’ve made a complaint that’s gone unheard or unresolved, we can help. That’s what AFCA does.
What can AFCA help with?
AFCA can help with disagreements and complaints about….
Banking
Internet banking, ATMs, currency exchange, and transaction errors.
Credit, finance and loans
Difficulty repaying loans, overdrafts, credit cards, and short-term finance.
Insurance
Denial of insurance claims, including car, home, pet, travel, public liability, and income protection.
Investments and financial advice
Inappropriate investment advice, shares, currency trading, and timeshare schemes.
Superannuation
Death benefit distribution, disability insurance, and fund administration.
These are just some of the complaints AFCA can help with, if you’re not sure whether your complaint is valid, get in touch.
Already contacted your financial firm?
If your complaint has gone unheard or unresolved.
Are you experiencing financial hardship?
Financial hardship is when you are having trouble repaying a loan or credit. If you are in difficulty you should contact your financial firm straight away.
If you are unhappy with your financial firm’s response, you can contact AFCA.
“Thank you for your valuable time last week and your kind listening ear – your professional manner and kind approach was a breath of fresh air.”
- Feedback from a consumer
How it works…
-
Contact your financial firm
Many complaints can be resolved by contacting your financial firm directly. Most financial firms have a complaints area that you can email, call or send a letter.
If you are not happy with the response, then contact AFCA.
If you receive a Statement of Claim or notification that the financial firm has started legal proceedings, contact AFCA immediately.
-
Lodge a complaint with AFCA
Making a complaint is easy. You can call, email, send a letter or use our simple online form at afca.org.au/complain
-
Reaching an outcome
AFCA will work with you and your financial firm to resolve your complaint.
This can include taking a closer look at the issue and helping to negotiate between you and the financial firm.
Most complaints to AFCA are resolved during this step.
-
Final decision
If your complaint was not resolved through negotiation, AFCA can make a final decision.
We make our decisions based on what is fair, relevant laws, codes of practice and information provided by you and your financial firm.
“Our dispute teams are finding AFCA very fair and reasonable to deal with, and have noticed a positive change.”
- Feedback from a member
Frequently asked questions
What outcome can I expect?
There are many ways a complaint can be resolved. These include:
- refunding fees and charges you should not have paid
- paying an award for financial loss
- paying compensation for the inconvenience or upset you have experienced
- apologising for the treatment you received
Sometimes we decide that the financial firm has already taken steps to resolve a complaint fairly. If that’s the case, we will always explain why.
Will I need help lodging my complaint?
Our service is free to the public and easy to use. You do not need to pay someone to help you lodge a complaint with AFCA.
If you need help, a friend or family member can contact us on your behalf.
Find out more about the support available.
How long have I got to complain?
For most complaints, we will generally only be able to consider it if you make your complaint:
- within six years after you first became aware, or ‘should reasonably have become aware’, that you suffered the loss you want to complain about; or
- if you have already complained directly to your financial firm though its internal dispute resolution (IDR) process, then you need to complain to us within two years of getting a IDR response from your financial firm.
If you are not sure whether your complaint is valid, call us and we will talk through the specifics with you.
