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Ombudsmen
Office of the Ombudsmen
Jurisdiction | Investigates complaints about administrative actions, decisions, omissions, and recommendations of central and local government agencies named in the schedule to Ombudsmen Act 1975. |
Governing legislation | Ombudsmen Act 1975; Official Information Act 1982; Local Government Official Information and Meetings Act 1987; Protected Disclosures Act 2000 |
Contact details | Office of the OmbudsmenPO Box 10152, WellingtonTel: 0800 802 602 Email: [email protected] |
Availability | Cases notes are available in Compendium to Case Notes of the Ombudsmen which are published in approximately annual volumes. |
Reported in | NZAR (1976 - 1983) |
Banking Ombudsman
Jurisdiction | Appointed by the Banking Ombudsman Commission to hear complaints regarding amounts not exceeding $100,000 arising out of the provision of banking services within New Zealand against registered banks which are listed as participants in the service in the Banking Ombudsman. |
Governing legislation | Not established by legislation. The effectiveness of private sector Ombudsmen that deal with savings matters is subject to review by the Retirement Commissioner in accordance with the Retirement Income Act 1993 |
Contact details | Office of the OmbudsmenPO Box 10152, WellingtonTel: 0800 802 602 Email: [email protected] |
Availability | A searchable database of Case Notes is available on the Ombudsman's website. Notes on any significant cases are published in the Office of the Banking Ombudsman Annual Report. Some cases are also noted in the Ombudsmans' March and October newsletters. In some circumstance case notes awaiting publication may be made available to interested parties. Names of complainant/s or the bank/s involved remain confidential. |
Note | The Code of Banking Practice is used as a guide to good banking practice. The Ombudsman will usually uphold a proven complaint about a breach of this code. The complaint must be dealt with firstly by the internal complaints procedures of the bank concerned before referral to the Ombudsman. The Banking Ombudsman Commission and the Banking Ombudsman Scheme were originally established by the New Zealand Bankers' Association in 1992, but they are structured to be entirely independent and self-perpetuating. |
Insurance & Financial Services Ombudsman
Jurisdiction | A complaint can be made against a participating insurance or financial services in the Insurance & Financial Services Ombudsman ("IFSO") scheme, if the services were provided to, or for the benefit of, the complainant. Cannot consider complaints made about services provided to businesses or under commercial policies. |
Governing legislation | Not established by legislation. The effectiveness of private sector Ombudsmen that deal with savings matters is subject to review by the Retirement Commissioner in accordance with the Retirement Income Act 1993, s6 (e). |
Contact details | Insurance & Financial Services Ombudsman PO Box 10-845, WellingtonTel: +64 4 449 7612 Freephone: 0800 888 202 Fax: +64 4 499 7614 Email: [email protected] |
Availability | Annual reports, Casebooks 1999 onwards, periodic 'assessment' publications. |
Note | Originally established by the insurance and savings industry in March 1995. Formerly known as the Insurance & Savings Ombudsman |