COSL 2013 Annual Report: complaint analysis

The Credit Ombudsman Service Limited (COSL) Annual Report on Operations 2012-2013 sets out the number of complaints that were made against named member financial services providers.

Member FSPs which received less than four complaints are not named in the report.

While the analysis sets out the products for which complaints were made it does not set out the issues covered.

But the report does identify systemic issues identified by COSL:

  • it was alleged that a mortgage broker promoted the sale of certain properties to consumers and then arranged unsuitable loans for the consumers to enable
    their purchase
  • authorised representatives of a licensee provided the consumers with inappropriate advice in relation to investments and the establishment of self-managed superannuation funds
  • a ‘group complaint’ made by a number of consumers (represented by a consumer legal service), involving a motor vehicle finance provider’s products and services
  • inappropriate disclosure and charging of a weekly “administration fee” under a standard form loan contract
  • the credit provider (through its mercantile agent) improperly repossessed vehicles which secure loans from the consumers’ homes
  • a debt collection agency had a practice of sending consumers letters addressed to ‘The Householder’, but with the details of the consumer and a request to contact the agency contained inside.
 

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