AFS Mortgages Pty Ltd (ACN: 127 711 146)

AFS Mortgages Pty Ltd (ACN: 124 711 146) t/as Absolute Financial Services is committed to client service and satisfaction.

What if I have a complaint?

In the event that you are unhappy regarding any part of our service, Absolute Financial Services has developed an internal dispute resolution procedure to assist you to resolve a complaint or dispute about our services. Our internal dispute resolution process provides that your complaint will be handled efficiently, honestly and fairly.
Our internal dispute resolution procedures are free of charge.

We are authorised as a credit representative (Credit Representative number 399708) to engage in credit activities on behalf of BLSSA Pty Ltd (Australian Credit Licence number 391237) who may assist us in the investigation and resolution of your complaint.

We are also a member of an independent approved external dispute resolution scheme, called Credit Ombudsman Service Ltd

How to make a complaint

In the first instance, please contact Garry Coxon of Absolute Financial Services to submit your complaint. Garry’s contact details are:

Name: Garry Coxon
Position: Complaints Officer at Absolute Financial Services
Address: 15 Burwood Highway, Burwood VIC 3125
Phone: (03) 9888 9292 or 0411 256 562
Fax: (03) 9888 9595
Email: complaints@rapidloan.com.au

We would like to be the first to know if you are not happy with our services. You can contact us verbally or in writing. Garry may request you to provide certain documents and other information to fully understand your complaint and the remedy you are seeking.

Absolute Financial Services Response

We will:

(a) confirm receipt of your complaint within 5 days; and

(b) endeavour to resolve your complaint within 21 days. If your complaint is complex, we will endeavour to resolve it within 45 days.

If resolution of your complaint is not likely within these timeframes, we will keep you informed at regular intervals about the progress of our investigations and response.

If your complaint is not satisfactorily resolved by Absolute Financial Services within a reasonable period of time, you can escalate your complaint to the Advice Complaint Manager at BLSSA Pty Ltd:

Name: Shannon Berk or Ingrid Gyles
Position: Complaints Officers
Address: PO Box 626, Collins Street West, Melbourne VIC 8007
Phone: 1800 014 375
Fax: (03) 7616 1918
Email: resolutions@BLSSA.com.au

The Complaints Officers are senior personnel in our organisation and in BLSSA Pty Ltd and have the necessary experience and authority to handle your complaint and make the relevant decisions on outcomes.

The complaint need not be in writing and may be presented by any reasonable means, for example letter, telephone, email or in person.

What if I am still not satisfied?

If you are still not satisfied with the outcome, you have the option at any time to contact the Credit Ombudsman Service Ltd (of which we and BLSSA Pty Ltd are members) on:

Name: Credit Ombudsman Service Limited
Address: Level 7, 287 Elizabeth Street, Sydney NSW 2000
Freecall: 1800 138 422
Phone: (02) 9273 8400
Fax: (02) 9273 8440
Email: info@creditombudsman.com.au

Awareness

All staff and consultants who deal with (or are likely to deal with) clients, are aware of the names, titles and telephone numbers of our and BLSSA Pty Ltd’s Complaints Officers.

Each staff member and consultant is also instructed in how to transfer a client who has a complaint to our Complaints Officer or BLSSA Pty Ltd’s Complaints Officer; and what client details to record if the Complaints Officers are for any reason unavailable (this information will include a minimum of the name, telephone number, and description of the product or transaction to which the client’s complaint relates). We and BLSSA Pty Ltd do not charge any fee in respect to any complaint.

Timelines

We will provide a written acknowledgement of receipt of the complaint to the complainant within five business days, unless the complaint is otherwise resolved in the meantime.

We will ensure that a final response is given to the complaint as soon as possible, but within twenty one (21) or forty five (45) days of receipt of the complaint.

If we cannot respond to the complaint within relevant timeframes, we will inform the complainant of the reasons for the delay and of their right to refer the complaint to the Credit Ombudsman Service.

We will have provided a final response to the complaint if we:

(a) Accept the complaint and, if appropriate, offer redress or
(b) Offer redress without accepting the complaint; or
(c) Reject the complaint.

Written Response to a Client

We will give the complainant a written response to their complaint and the reasons for reaching a particular decision on the complaint and will adequately address the issues that are raised in the complaint.

Where practicable, our response will refer to applicable provisions in legislation, Codes, Standards or Procedures.

Remedies

If we accept the complaint and are of the view that it is appropriate to offer redress to the complainant, that redress may be non-financial as well as, or instead of, financial. If we consider that a financial remedy is appropriate then we will provide compensation for any direct loss or damage caused.

We will, when determining the appropriate remedy, take into consideration the extent of loss or damage suffered by the complainant, relevant legal principles, EDR scheme rules, the MFAA Code of Practice and other relevant codes of conduct and concepts of fairness and relevant industry best practice.

Data Collection

We will keep data concerning the complaint in such form and manner as we think fit and will enable analysis according to:

(a) Type of complaint
(b) Subject of complaint
(c) Outcome of complaint
(d) Timeliness of response

So that we can identify any systematically recurring problems, we will as far as is practicable and relevant, classify complaints according to the particular provision of any legislation, the Regulatory Guide or relevant EDR scheme rules alleged by the complainant to have been breached.

Subject to legal constraints including constraints as to privacy, we will make available data collected in respect of the complaint to our EDR and the Australian Securities and Investments Commission.

Review

We will review our Internal Dispute Resolution Procedures at least every three (3) years to ensure that our complaints systems are operating effectively.
This document was reviewed on 25 April 2012