Unhappy with a bank or other financial institution?

Want to file a complaint against a financial institution but don’t know how?

First of all, you should know that you absolutely have the right to lodge a complaint if you are not satisfied or cannot come to a mutual understanding with banks and insurance companies regulated by Bank Negara Malaysia (BNM). For example:

Mr. Wang discovered in his latest current account statement that there was a cash out of RM5,000 via cheque numbered 23456. Upon checking his cheque book, he found a few cheques missing and one of them was this exact cheque. After an investigation by the police, it was found that his signature was forged and that the culprit produced a fake identity card with a fake MyKad number when cashing out at the bank, but the bank refuses to return Mr.Wang’s money.

Shouldn’t the bank officer have noticed this and called Mr. Wang to verify the transaction? – Here is a situation that can be disputed!

Let us take this opportunity to protect your right as a consumer, so you don’t get the run-around.

What do I need to do before I can file a complaint?

Identify your problem first before you make a complaint to your institution. If you think the financial institution has been unfair or misleading, discriminated against you, or violated any company policy, you may file your complaint against them. Don’t forget to keep a copy for yourself!

Attempt to settle your problem with the institution

The first step you must attempt is to resolve your problems directly with the institution – try to talk and discuss with the person-in-charge or department.

If you feel that your complaint has not been resolved fully or in a satisfactory manner, you can proceed to make a formal complaint to the Complaint Unit of your institution via email or fax. The Complaint unit is a department established by each institution to handle all complaints and feedback brought forward by customers.

They will take about two weeks to investigate further and review your complaint. If they anticipate that your complaint would take longer than two weeks to be resolved, a representative will update you on the progress accordingly. No matter how small the problem, your institution should be responsible to solve it.

Still not happy? Refer your complaint to the FMB

Not to worry! You can still defend your rights with the Financial Mediation Bureau (FMB). FMB is an independent organisation that mediates disputes between the public and financial institutions.

Prepare the final decision letter from your institution and submit the letter to FMB within 6 months of the date it was issued to you.

Once you have submitted your documentation, the FMB will review your complaint and may meet with you or together with your institution and will make a decision on your case after looking at the law, industry rules and practices of the issues at hand.

Their services are completely free, but bear in mind that there is a limit to the amount that you can claim:

Claim	Claim Limit
Banking/Financial complaint	RM100,000 (excluding fraud cases relating to payment services, credit cards, charge cards, ATM cards, and cheques for which the limit will not exceed RM25,000)
Insurance/Takaful complaint	RM200,000 (Motor and Fire Insurance/Takaful) RM100,000 (Others) RM5,000 (3rd party property damage)

Alternatively, there’s also BNM

Here’s another option for you to file your complaint. If your complaint does not fall within in the scope of the FMB, you may refer your complaint directly to Bank Negara Malaysia through BNMLINK and BNMTELELINK. These departments represent BNM’s important points of contact to facilitate prompt and efficient response to members of the public on matters related to the financial sector.

BNMTELELINK can be reached via mail, e-mail, fax or phone. In addition to this, you can also visit the BNMLINK if you wish to discuss your problems in person as they also provide face to face services to walk-in customers.

FMB and BNM weren’t helpful. What do I do now?

If you are not satisfied with the decisions of FMB or BNM, you may seek legal advice on taking legal action to resolve your problem.

 

• TAGS:
• Bank Negara Malaysia
• Banks
• Consumer Rights
• Financial Institutions
• Financial Mediation Bureau
• Insurance Providers
• Legal Cases