Complaints and Disputes

Making a complaint →
Resolving your complaint →
How to have your complaint reviewed →
If you need help making a complaint →

If you need to raise concerns with us or are unhappy with how we’ve handled something, here are some steps you can take.

All Complaints and Disputes are handled in accordance with our Complaints Handling Policy.

If you are reporting unauthorised transactions or a scam, please contact us immediately on 1300 855 675 or the Fraud Bureau if outside of business hours on 1300 705 750. If you need to cancel or suspend your card, this can be done any time using the First Option Bank App or Internet Banking.

There are a few easy ways to make a complaint so you can choose the one that best suits you.

• Use our online form‍
• call us on 1300 855 675 from Australia or +61 3 9869 8700 Mon-Fri 9am-4:30pm, AEST/AEDT. When calling from overseas using your mobile, standard roaming charges may apply. To avoid roaming charges, call the international operator in the country you’re in from a land line and give them our number.
• Send us a Secure Message through our Internet Banking or App (you’ll just need to be registered and logged in)
• If you’re contacting us through our official social media channels, such as our Facebook page, we’ll first need to get in touch to identify you. Then we’ll start working with you on your complaint.
• Write to us at First Option Bank, PO BOX 7063, Melbourne, VIC 3004

Please tell us:

• your name and your preferred contact details, and
• what your complaint is about, including the products or services you are complaining about and what’s gone wrong, and the resolution you’re seeking.

By giving us as much information as possible, you’ll be helping us to resolve things faster. If you have any supporting documentation, please have it handy when you make your complaint.

Once we’ve received your complaint, we will try to resolve your complaint on the spot if possible, or within 3 business days. In some cases, the only resolution we may be able to provide is an explanation and/or apology.

If we resolve your complaint to your satisfaction within 3 business days of receiving it, we will only provide a written response if you request one, or if your complaint relates to hardship.

If we need more time to resolve your complaint and explore resolution options with you, we will:

• let you know and keep you informed of progress, and
• give you the name of a contact person who is handling your complaint and a way to contact them.
• If it takes longer than 3 business days to resolve your complaint, we will confirm the outcome with you in writing. We will aim to resolve your complaint within 30 days (or 21 days for hardship or debt collection).

If your complaint is complex or there are circumstances outside our control, we might not be able to respond to your complaint within these timeframes. In this case, we’ll write to you to explain why. We’ll tell you:

• the reasons for the delay and our progress,
• your right to complaint to the Australian Financial Complaints Authority (AFCA) if you’re dissatisfied, and
• the contact details for AFCA.

Our job is to make our complaints process accessible for everyone. You may appoint someone else to manage your complaint on your behalf, for example, a friend or family member, a legal representative or financial counsellor. We will talk to your representative if you authorise us to do so.

If you’re not satisfied with the outcome of your complaint or if we haven’t resolved it within the required timeframe, you can contact the Australia Financial Complaints Authority (AFCA).

AFCA is external to First Optin Bank. AFCA provides free and independent complaint resolution service to individuals and small business customers who are unable to resolve their complaints directly with First Option Bank.

Please note that before AFCA can investigate your complaint, they generally require you to have first provided us with the opportunity to address your complaint.

Call: 1800 931 678 (free call)
Email: [email protected]
Website: www.afca.org.au

Mail:
Australian Financial Complaints Authority
GPO Box 3
Melbourne VIC 3001

At any time, you can inform us how you would prefer to be contacted. If you’re deaf or find it hard to hear or speak on the phone, you can contact us through the National Relay Service.

Simply become a registered user of the service, then dial 133 677 and ask for 1300 855 675.

Alternatively:

• speak and Listen users phone 1300 555 727 then ask for 1300 855 675
• NRS Chat users (previously known as Internet Relay) can make calls on the NRS app or on the NRS Chat Call page (ask for 1300 855 675).
• We can arrange an interpreter (including an AUSLAN interpreter) to assist you in lodging and managing your complaint, subject to availability. Please let us know if you need help, including any specific needs, to lodge your complaint.

We provide additional support for people in vulnerable circumstances. Go to the Financial Hardship page for further information on how we can help you manage your finances and for support services available to you.

If your circumstances mean your complaint is urgent, please tell us. For example:

• you’re experiencing domestic or family violence
• you have a serious illness
• your living conditions may get worse if we don’t resolve your complaint quickly.