When can the Banking Ombudsman be resorted to for grievance redressal?

Bank customers can seek assistance from the Banking Ombudsman after the concerned bank fails to reply to the complaint within a period of one month from the date of its receipt or rejects the complaint or under the case when complainant is not satisfied with the reply of the banking entity.

Grounds of complaints against which Banking Ombudsman offers grievance redressal

Complaints concerning deficiency in respect of the following different banking services that includes internet banking are addressed by the Banking Ombudsman:

1. Inordinate delay in the collection or payment of bills, cheques, drafts etc or non-payment.

2. Non-acceptance of notes in small denomination without any proper reason and charging of commission in lieu of the same.

3. Non-acceptance of coins tendered for any purpose without any proper reason and charging of commission in lieu of the same.

4. Delay or failure in respect of issue of banker's cheques, drafts or pay orders.

5. Delay in respect of payment of inward remittances or non-payment.

6. Failure or delay in respect of provision of a banking service (besides loans and advances) promised in writing by the banking entity or its DSAs.

7. In case of the banking institution not complying with the otherwise prescribed working hours.

8. Complaints of NRIs in respect of their remittances, deposits and other banking matters for their bank accounts maintained in India.

9. In case the bank declines to open a deposit account without any concrete reason.

10. Levies charges without customer's prior information.

11. Non-compliance with directives of the RBI, if any, in relation to applicable interest rates on deposits in any of the different accounts with a bank or non-payment of deposit

12. Delays or non-credit of proceeds in the account of the concerned party

13. Refusal or delay in acceptance of tax payments as mandated by the government or Reserve Bank

14. Non-compliance with the instructions put forth by the RBI in respect of debit or credit card transactions

15. Refusal or delay in respect of closing the bank account.

16. Closure of deposit accounts by the bank without prior notice or sufficient reason.

17. Delay or non-disbursement of pension amount.

18. Refusal or delay in respect of issuance or servicing or redemption of G-securities.

19. Non-observance of the fair practices code or non-compliance with the provisions of the Code of Banks Commitments to Customers issued by Banking Codes and Standards Board of India.

20. Any other matter concerning violation of the directives as put forth by the RBI in respect of banking services.

Banking customers can also file complaints with the Banking Ombudsman for deficiency in service in respect of loans and advances. To know more about circumstances under which customers can file complaints against banks for their loans and advances service click here.

Information Courtesy: RBI