The Ombudsman for Banking Services (OBS), also referred to as “the OBS”, resolves individual complaints about banking services and products. We do this in an impartial, independent, confidential and speedy manner. Any bank customer who has a complaint against his or her bank may approach the Ombudsman for Banking Services for assistance. The service is free and the only requirements that must be met are that:

• The complaint must be within our jurisdiction
• The customer must have followed the bank’s complaint handling procedures before approaching the OBS for assistance.

We resolve complaints by investigating matter according to the rules of the OBS. If the matter has not been resolved by negotiation after investigation, a firm decision may be taken. The decision may be in the form of a recommendation or a determination.

A complainant is free to sue in a court or enter into any other dispute resolving process at any time whilst the complaint is being dealt with by the OBS, provided he or she informs us of this so that we can close the file. We cannot make rules for the banking industry or deal with policy issues, nor can we give general advice about banking or financial matters.

Commercial decisions taken by banks regarding fees or the granting of credit are out of our jurisdiction unless maladministration has occurred. As such we cannot assist you in getting the bank to approve credit or alter your terms of repayment on a loan. The OBS is registered as an organisation for non-profit (NPC) under registration no. 2000/002577/08.