Australia's Financial Ombudsman Service: An Analysis of its Role in the Resolution of Financial Hardship Disputes
Conflict Resolution Quarterly, Vol. 34, No. 2, pp. 163-188, 2016
22 Pages Posted: 10 Dec 2016
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Australia's Financial Ombudsman Service: An Analysis of its Role in the Resolution of Financial Hardship Disputes
Australia's Financial Ombudsman Service: An Analysis of its Role in the Resolution of Financial Hardship Disputes
Date Written: December 9, 2016
Abstract
The Financial Ombudsman Service (FOS) was established in 2008 to resolve disputes between Australian consumers and financial service providers. This article outlines the role of FOS in resolving disputes under the statutory protections for Australians in financial hardship. This article also sets out the results of a study of data collected by FOS in relation to financial hardship disputes resolved between 2010 and 2014. This data highlights the importance of FOS in a context where most disputes are resolved outside the courts, particularly in the aftermath of the global financial crisis, when the number of financial hardship disputes rose significantly.
Keywords: Dispute resolution, financial services, financial hardship, Financial Ombudsman Service
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