Complaints & Help – Retail Consumer Issues

Finance and Banking Customers

Australian Financial Complaints Authority (AFCA) provides accessible, fair and independent dispute resolution for consumers and financial services providers. (The dispute must be with a AFCA member organisation.  A list can be found on their website)

You can lodge a complaint with the Australian Financial Complaints Authority (AFCA) if you believe your financial services provider has acted unfairly towards you. They also have range of fact sheets on financial topics.

Online Dispute Form: https://www.afca.org.au/make-a-complaint

Website: https://www.afca.org.au/

Phone: 1800 931 678

Caxton Consumer Law Service provides financial counselling information, advice and referral service to consumers on credit, debt or with banking issues.

Phone: (07) 3214 6333
Website: www.caxton.org.au

MoneySmart is an online guide that has a range of toold offering free and impartial financial guidance. Some topics they cover are managing your money, borrowing, insurance, superannuation and retirement.

Website: www.moneysmart.gov.au

Gas, Electricity or Water Customers

Energy and Water Ombudsman Queensland (EWOQ) Can assist you with complaints about:

• Problems with payment
• Account errors
• Disconnections
• Damage and loss
• Energy marketing
• Energy contract issues
• Vegetation management
• Supply quality and reliability
• Extensions to supply and connection of supply
• Customer service issues
• Guaranteed service levels
• Equipment issues
• Bursts, leaks, blockages and spills
• Privacy breaches by energy and water companies and credit reporting bodies

Online Complaint Form: Click Here

Website: www.ewoq.com.au
Phone: 1800 662 837

The National Debt Helpline offer advice and guidance if you are worried about paying your gas, electricity or water bills or are worried about being disconnected. To access some simple steps for tackling bills, adressing a disconnection notice, or if your already disconnected click here. They may also be able to help if you have been talked into signing up to a gas, electricity or water contract with a door to door salesman.

Phone: 1800 007 007
Website: www.ndh.org.au

Phone and Internet Customers

If your having difficulty paying your phone bill, or your concerned about being disconnected, the National Debt Helpline outline some steps to help you resolve this issue click here.

Phone: 1800 007 007
Website: www.ndh.org.au

You can also contact the Telecommunications Industry Ombudsman, if the company is not assisting with financial help or resolving issues.

Phone: 1800 062 058
Website: www.tio.com.au

Scams

The Australian Competition & Consumer Commission (ACCC) produces a book ‘The Little Black Book of Scams’, which highlights popular scams including fake lotteries, internet shopping, mobile phones, online banking, employment, and investment opportunities. It also has tips on how to protect yourself from scams, what you can do if you do get scammed. You can download it from their website or call for it to be sent to you.

The ACCC also hosts a website called Scam Watch which provides information on different types of scams, how to report them, and how to avoid them.

Website: www.scamwatch.gov.au

To report a scam, you can fill in an online form click here

Legal Advice for Consumer Issues