Complaints about Banks

Banks are required to put in place appropriate and effective mechanisms and procedures to handle customer complaints about banking products or services, making sure that individual cases are being followed up in a fair and expeditious manner.  If a customer considers that a bank has not handled his/her case properly, he/she can make a formal complaint to the bank. Each bank has designated officers to handle complaints.  You can find the contact details of these officers on the “List of banks’ contact persons for handling customer complaints” on the HKMA’s website.  Many complaints arise from a misunderstanding or a mismatch of expectations, and they can often be resolved after proper communication with the bank.

You may consider filing a complaint with the HKMA if the bank has not properly addressed your complaint, or you suspect misconduct on the part of banks and/or bank staff.  Generally, as part of the HKMA’s complaint handling, if the case involves business relationship and/or contractual agreements between you and the bank concerned, we may refer your complaint to the bank for its further review and providing a detailed reply to address all issues raised in the case.  Upon completion of handling of the case, the HKMA will inform you in writing of the outcome.  

The information which the HKMA comes across when handling a complaint may also assist it in identifying potential issues of supervisory or enforcement concern that require follow-up action, including initiating an investigation and taking supervisory and enforcement actions.  However, it should be noted that the HKMA cannot interfere with a bank’s commercial decisions, adjudicate or intervene in service quality issues or a dispute between a bank and its customer, or order a bank to pay compensation.