- Its Terms of Reference and Operational Procedures
- The Banking Association of South Africa’s (BASA) Code of Banking Practice
- Case law and relevant legislation
- International Best Practice
- Equity / Fairness
Only banks that are members of the Banking Association of South Africa are bound by our rules. Check whether your bank is a participant in the Ombudsman’s scheme, view our member banks.
Who can complain to us?
Any bank customer may lodge a complaint against his or her bank with the OBS, provided the OBS has jurisdiction over the complaint and the bank is a member.
Entities such as companies, corporations, partnerships and trusts may lodge a complaint if the person making the complaint is authorised to do so and the annual turnover of the business or group of businesses is R10 million or less per year.
Complaints we can handle
The OBS can assist you only if your complaint:
- relates to products or services provided by the bank;
- involves a claim of R2 million or less;
- arose within the past three years;
- If the complainant is a company the annual business turnover must be less than R10 000 000.
We cannot assist if your complaint involves:
- a bank’s commercial decision about lending or credit, interest rates or bank charges, unless there has been maladministration on the part of your bank;
- a matter that would more appropriately be dealt with by a court of law or another dispute resolution process;
- a matter which is or has been the subject of litigation, subject to certain exceptions.
