COMPLAINT FORM
CONSUMER COMPLAINTS
STEP ONE: CONTACT THE FINANCIAL INSTITUTION
The DBCF recommends that you attempt to resolve your complaint with your financial institution first to allow them the opportunity to resolve your issue(s). Contact someone in authority at the company or business in question (i.e. Owner, President, or Consumer Complaint Specialist) to resolve the issue.
Helpful Hints:
- Be courteous and remain calm.
- Explain the problem: provide dates and amounts paid or billed, have important documents, and present as many facts as possible.
- Explain what type of remedy you are seeking.
- State whether you are willing to negotiate.Remember, in many disputes, neither side is totally correct.
- If you cannot get a response or resolution by following the steps, go to Step 2.
STEP TWO: CONTACT THE DEPARTMENT OF BANKING AND CONSUMER FINANCE
Please Note:
- We cannot act as a court of law or as a lawyer on your behalf.
- We cannot give legal advice.
- We cannot become involved in complaints that are in litigation of have been litigated.
- If you have previously submitted a complaint to another regulatory agency, a complaint regarding the same issue or concern should not be submitted to our office until a final decision has been made by the regulatory agency first contacted. A copy of that agency decision should be included with your complaint to DBCF.
If you have attempted to resolve the issue with the institution but need additional assistance, you may file a complaint with DBCF. The complaint form is available in Portable Document Format (PDF) at the end of this step. Please include copies of documents, canceled checks, correspondence, etc. Complaints should NOT be emailed, faxed, or mailed in addition to the online submission. Only ONE form should be submitted unless your complaint involves more than one financial institution.
Once your complaint is received, a copy of the complaint and any supporting documentation are sent along with a cover letter to the financial institution. DBCF allows 30 days from the date the complaint is mailed for the entity to provide a written response. Once a response is received, DBCF will review the submitted information and make a determination about the merits of the complaint. DBCF will try to mediate a fair and equitable resolution. You will receive a letter documenting our conclusions and action regarding the complaint. While DBCF may attempt to mediate complaints, in some cases, your recourse to resolve the matter might be legal action. If such is the case or if you are unsatisfied with DBCF’s resolution, you will need to contact a private attorney. As noted above, DBCF does not have the authority to act as a court of law or as an attorney on your behalf, provide legal advice, or become actively involved in complaints that are in litigation or have been previously litigated.