OMBUDSMAN
SERVICES
There are a wide range of organisations and services
available to assist in handling consumer disputes, from
government agencies to industry associations.
OMBUDSMAN SERVICES
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An ombudsman
is a person who has been appointed to look into
complaints about an organisation. Using an ombudsman is
a way of trying to resolve a complaint without going to
court.
You should complain to the
ombudsman only if you have given the relevant
organisation an opportunity to comment on the
complaint and resolve any problems.
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THE OMBUDSMAN'S SERVICES ARE FREE
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The Telecommunications Industry Ombudsman - TIO
For small business and residential consumers with
unresolved complaints about their telephone or internet
services.
The Insurance Ombudsman Service
- IOS If you have a
dispute with a insurance company then IOS may be able to
help you resolve it.
Banking and Financial Services Ombudsman - BFSO
A dispute resolution service dealing with
disputes that individuals and small business have with
their financial service providers.
The Commonwealth Ombudsman assists the Australian
community - Consider and investigate
complaints about Australian Government departments and
agencies. The Commonwealth Ombudsman is also the Defence
Force Ombudsman, the Immigration Ombudsman, the Law
Enforcement Ombudsman, the Postal Industry Ombudsman and
the Taxation Ombudsman.
How to complain to the
ombudsman
The procedure for starting
the investigation by the ombudsman depends on
which ombudsman the complaint is being made to.
Most of the offices of the ombudsmen provide an
application form for making a complaint
However,
you do not need to use an application form. You
can contact them with the following information:
- the name and address of the person
making the complaint
- the name and address of the organisation
the complaint is being made about
- details of what the complaint is about,
that is, what did the organisation do wrong
or fail to do
- what personal injustice, financial loss
or hardship was suffered
-
what the organisation should do to put
the situation right
- details of how the complaint has been
followed up before you contacted the
ombudsman
- the date when you first identified the
event you are complaining about.
Copies of any paperwork
relevant to the complaint should also be sent.
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In Australia there are over 1600 private, community and
government organisations that offer consumer and
business complaint-handling services, including industry
associations, businesses, government agencies and
independent mediation services.
On Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC)
web site you can find them searching through
Consumer & business directory.
The Consumer and Business Directory
provides a one-stop shop of links and contacts for
consumers and small business. It is a database of
contact details of organisations that provide assistance
or advice to consumers and small business.
Office of Fair Trading
Office of Fair Trading promotes the existence of a fair
and ethical marketplace within the community and works
to assist consumers in resolving a wide range of issues.
You can obtain information about your rights when
shopping, renting, buying or servicing motor vehicles
etc. It also advises traders on fair and ethical
practice, registers businesses and promotes
co-operatives, provides occupational licensing and
maintains product safety and standards; providing access
to information, advice and education on fair trading
matters for business and consumers; ...
Australian Competition and Consumer Commission
(ACCC)
ACCC is the Commonwealth Government agency
responsible for administering legislation concerning
fair trade practices, prices surveillance, competition
and consumer protection.
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Small claim Tribunal (court) are courts of
limited jurisdiction that may resolv disputes between
consumers and suppliers of goods and services. The cost
of lodging a claim depends on the amount of your claim.
The claim limit is different - QLD $7.500, ACT $10.000,
... Read More on
ACCC's web site.
Small claims courts can be found in Australia, Canada,
Ireland, Israel, New Zealand, South Africa, Hong Kong,
UK and the USA.
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AAT - Small Taxation Claims Tribunal and the
Administrative Appeals Tribunal help
The Small Taxation Claims Tribunal (STCT) is a
Tribunal set up within the Taxation Division of
the Administrative Appeals Tribunal (AAT).
An application to the STCT must be made within
60 days of receiving a copy of the decision from
the Tax Office.
The STCT provides informal and inexpensive
review of small taxation disputes. The STCT can
review:
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All objection decisions by the Commissioner
of Taxation where the amount of tax in
dispute is less than $5,000.
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Decisions of the Tax Office refusing a
request for an extension of time within
which to make a taxation objection; and/or
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Objection decisions by the Commissioner of
Taxation refusing an individual taxpayer's
request to be released from paying an amount
of tax (regardless of the amount involved).
READ MORE ON AAT SITE
The Financial Industry Complaints Service - FICS
National service that was established to provide free
advice and assistance to consumers to help them in
resolving complaints relating to members of the
financial services industry, including life insurance,
pooled superannuation trusts, funds management,
financial advice, stock broking, investment advice and
sales of financial or investment products. There is no
charge to consumers for any service provided by FICS in
handling complaints. FICS - an external dispute
resolution (EDR) scheme
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Product Recalls Australia Web site |
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The site enhances
consumer safety by providing current
product recall information based on
notifications provided to the
Minister for Competition Policy and
Consumer Affairs.
The
main pages of
Product Recalls Australia Web site
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European Ombudsman SOON!
What sort of complaint can
the European Ombudsman deal with
The European Ombudsman can
investigate maladministration in the activities
of the European community institutions and
bodies. These bodies include the European
Commission, the Council of the European Union
and the Court of Justice.