How to file a complaint with the banking ombudsman?
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The Reserve bank of India (“RBI”) had issued directions to all the banking and finance companies for upgrading their resolution process with their account holders. For timely resolution, an account holder is expected to approach its respective bank branch to report for his grievance/es and the bank is required to solve them within a specified period.
If not, then RBI shall intervene on behalf of the account holder through its Banking Ombudsman Scheme, 2006. In 2006, RBI launched the Banking Ombudsman Scheme to help people receive a prompt resolution to their grievances from their respective banks and to take penal action in case the problem is left unattended for long or against the person found in default.
If you are not satisfied with your bank grievance support, then you can place a complaint against the bank directly on the grievance portal of RBI located at https://cms.rbi.org.in/.
#1 Who is a Banking Ombudsman?
Banking ombudsman is the personnel of RBI, appointed to redress complaints against banks and their services, made by any victim or recipient of bank services in relation to the deficiency in banking services or against non-receipt of the response of bank over the grievance.
Jurisdiction of Banking Ombudsman
Appointed by RBI, the jurisdiction to handle the grievance of the applicant shall be determined to the Banking Ombudsman by RBI itself at intervals. He will be in charge of orders of RBI and will cast a report to the Governor of Reserve Bank by 30th June every year stating the affairs and general reviews of activities conducted in his office during the preceding financial year…
#2 On what grounds a complaint be filed with an Ombudsman?
As per para 8 of the Banking Ombudsman Scheme (Amended) 2017, a complaint against the bank can be made to the Ombudsman on the following grounds :
- For non-payment or inordinate delay in the payment or collection of cheques, drafts, bills, etc.;
- For non-acceptance, without sufficient cause, of small denomination notes tendered for any purpose, and for charging of commission in respect thereof;
- For non-acceptance, without sufficient cause, of coins tendered and for charging of For commission in respect thereof;
- For non-payment or delay in payment of inward remittances ;
- For failure to issue or delay in issue of drafts, pay orders or bankers’ cheques;
- For non-adherence to prescribed working hours ;
- For failure to provide or delay in providing a banking facility (other than loans and advances) promised in writing by a bank or its direct selling agents;
- For delays, non-credit of proceeds to parties’ accounts, non-payment of deposit or non-observance of the Reserve Bank directives, if any, applicable to rate of interest on deposits in any savings, current or other account maintained with a bank ;
- For complaints from Non-Resident Indians having accounts in India in relation to their remittances from abroad, deposits and other bank-related matters;
- For refusal to open deposit accounts without any valid reason for refusal;
- For levying of charges without adequate prior notice to the customer;
- For non-adherence to the instructions of Reserve Bank on ATM / Debit Card and Prepaid Card operations in India by the bank or its subsidiaries
- For non-adherence by the bank or its subsidiaries to the instructions of Reserve Bank on credit card operations
- For non-adherence to the instructions of Reserve Bank with regard to Mobile Banking / Electronic Banking service in India by the bank
- For non-disbursement or delay in disbursement of pension (to the extent the grievance can be attributed to the action on the part of the bank concerned, but not with regard to its employees);
- For refusal to accept or delay in accepting payment towards taxes, as required by Reserve Bank/Government;
- For refusal to issue or delay in issuing, or failure to service or delay in servicing or redemption of Government securities;
- For forced closure of deposit accounts without due notice or without sufficient reason;
- For refusal to close or delay in closing the accounts;
- For non-adherence to the fair practices code as adopted by the bank;
- For non-adherence to the provisions of the Code of Bank’s Commitments to Customers issued by Banking Codes and Standards Board of India and as adopted by the bank ;
- For non-observance of Reserve Bank guidelines on engagement of recovery agents by banks;
- For non-adherence to Reserve Bank guidelines on para-banking activities like sale of insurance / mutual fund /other third party investment products by banks
- For any other matter relating to the violation of the directives issued by the Reserve Bank in relation to banking or other services.
- For any defect in services with respect to loans and advances.
#3 Filling Complaint with the Banking Ombudsman
One can apply for the assistance of Banking ombudsman in case of grievances, though online means i.e. by emailing the ombudsman, by filing a complaint against banks on the Ombudsman grievance portal or either manually by submitting a complaint using a plain paper.
Online Complaint with Banking Ombudsman
To file an application of grievance to the Banking Ombudsman follow the steps below :
Step 1: Locate to https://cms.rbi.org.in/
Step 2: Click on ‘ File Complaint’.
Step 3: Select for the location of ‘BO ‘depending on the jurisdiction of the complaint and the located bank branch.
Step 4: Enter a description of the complaint and click ‘Submit’.
The system will generate a reference number and a download option to download the complaint as PDF.
On receipt of the complaint, the banking ombudsman will look into the matter. He is bound to provide a satisfactory resolution to the applicant within 30 days.
Complaint by Email
An email to the banking ombudsman for the grievance can be made directly. Email of any Banking Ombudsman as per their respective jurisdiction can be accessed from https://www.rbi.org.in/commonman/English/Scripts/AgainstBankABO.aspx.
The Banking Ombudsman on hearing of grievance with all relevant facts and documents placed will direct the appropriate banking authority to provide a resolution to the applicant.
In case, the complainant left unsatisfied with the decision of the Ombudsman, he can take the case further to a consumer court.
Terms and FAQs for the Banking Ombudsman Scheme can be further accessed from https://www.rbi.org.in/Scripts/FAQView.aspx?Id=24.
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