Customers have also reported cases of unfair lending practices by banks, such as charging high-interest rates and imposing hidden charges.
Customers using banking services sometimes encounter several challenges and they need quick resolution of the complaints raised by them.
There are some common complaints that many customers highlight, like high fees and charges that banks levy for various services such as ATM withdrawals, cheque bounce, minimum balance non-maintenance, etc..
However, there are some complaints which are internal to a particular bank and a customer needs its resolution.
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It could be poor customer service also. Customers often complain about the poor customer service provided by banks. Long wait times, unresponsive customer care, and lack of clarity about procedures are some of the common grievances.
Many customers have reported cases of fraudulent activities such as unauthorised transactions, phishing, and identity theft. Customers also complain about technical glitches in online banking services, such as delayed or failed transactions, incorrect balances, and system failures.
Customers have also reported cases of unfair lending practices by banks, such as charging high-interest rates, imposing hidden charges, and offering unsolicited loans.
Many customers have complained about banks mis-selling financial products such as insurance policies, mutual funds, and credit cards without providing complete information about the terms and conditions.
Amid all these circumstances, customers are frustrated over the delays in resolving their complaints and grievances, with some cases taking several months or even years to get resolved.
It is important to note that not all banks have these issues, and banks have internal complaint resolution mechanisms right from a branch level to the headquarters. Banks have dedicated helpline numbers and online portals to lodge a complaint, if the branch manager is not acting on the issue raised by a customer.
However, there are situations where a customer is not satisfied by the bank and wishes to highlight the same above an authority, which can direct the bank to take an action.
In India, lodging a complaint with the Ombudsman of Reserve Bank Of India and tracking its progress is now simple and easy.
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How to complain against the Bank to the RBI?
If your complaint against any bank/NBFC or payment system participant is rejected or not redressed to your satisfaction by the entity concerned, you can now lodge a complaint on the Complaint Management System or CMS portal on RBI website (https://cms[dot]rbi[dot]org[dot]in) or through the link on the RBI App.
CMS provides a single window platform for fast and easy online filing, tracking of complaints and also for filing of Appeals. All complaints lodged on CMS would be directed to the appropriate office of the RBI Ombudsman/ Regional offices of RBI.
This site is very user friendly and provides information like ‘How to File a Complaint, Details /Documents required for filing a complaint, how to track your complaint, how to file an appeal against the Ombudsman as well as the addresses and mailing list of Consumers’ Education and Protection Cells.
Customers must note that before approaching the Ombudsman, it is mandatory to first file the complaint with the concerned bank. Only in the event of non-receipt of reply, within 30 days from the lodgement of the complaint, from your bank or if the complaint is rejected wholly or partially by the bank, the complaint can be registered with the Ombudsman.
