Complaints

We aim to provide the very best service for our customers. In the event that you are unhappy regarding any part of our service, our internal resolution process provides that your complaint will be handled efficiently, honestly and fairly.

Choice Aggregation Services and Choice Home Loans are business trading names owned by Pennley Pty Limited (ABN 40 071 979 498) as trustee for the Pennley Unit Trust.

Pennley Pty Ltd is authorised as a Corporate Credit Representative (Corporate Credit Representative number 392528) to engage in credit activities on behalf of BLSSA Pty Ltd (Australian Credit Licence 391237) who may assist us in the investigation and resolution of your complaint.

Complaints about Choice

Should you have a complaint about our services, please contact:

Complaints about Choice

For complaints against one of Choice's finance broker members, who is also a credit representative of BLSSA Pty. Ltd. please contact:

For complaints against one of Choice's finance broker members who is a Credit Representative of another Australian Credit License (ACL) holder, you may make a complaint direct to the ACL holder and these details can be obtained from their finance broker or documentation supplied.

The Complaints Officers are senior personnel in our organisation and have the necessary experience and authority to handle complaints and make relevant decisions on outcomes.

The complaint need not be in writing and may be presented to us by any reasonable means, for example letter, e-mail, telephone or in person.

Should a complainant not be satisfied with the outcome of our investigation of their complaint they have the option of contacting the Credit Ombudsman Service Limited (of which Choice and BLSSA Pty. Ltd. are members) on:

Freecall: 1800 138 422
Phone: 02 9273 8400
Fax: 02 9267 3125
Email: info@creditombudsman.com.au

AWARENESS

All staff and consultants who deal with (or are likely to deal with) customers, are aware of the names, titles and telephone numbers of our Complaints Officer and Deputy Complaints Officer.

Each staff member and consultant is also instructed in how to transfer a customer who has a complaint to our Complaints Officer or Deputy Complaints Officer; and what customer details to record if the Complaints Officer and Deputy Complaints Officer 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 customer's complaint relates). We do not charge a fee in respect to any complaint.

INVESTIGATING A CUSTOMER'S COMPLAINT

A customer's complaint will not be investigated by the Complaints Officer or Deputy Complaints Officer if they are in any way involved in the subject matter of the complaint.

TIMELINESS

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

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

For certain types of complaints, involving "default notices" or urgent disputes such as "applications for hardship", a final response must be provided within twenty one (21) days. If Choice are unable to deal with the complaint as it relates to a third party (for example, a lender), we may ask the client to contact the relevant party.

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

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

Accept the complaint and, if appropriate, offer redress, or
Offer redress without accepting the complaint; or
Reject the complaint.

WRITTEN RESPONSE TO A CUSTOMER

We will give the complainant a written response to their complaint and the reasons for reaching a particular decision on the complaint. We 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 an 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:

Type of complaint;
Subject of complaint;
Outcome of complaint;
Timeliness of response;

so that we can identify any systematically recurring problems, we will classify complaints accordingly.

Subject to legal constraints including constraints as to privacy, we will make available data collected in respect of the complaint upon request 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 7th May 2012.