Yes, the RB-IOS, 2021 provides for an appellate mechanism for the complainant as well as the RE for complaints closed under appealable Clauses of the Scheme. Any person aggrieved by an Award (except the RE in respect of Awards issued for non-furnishing of appropriate and satisfactory information within the stipulated time) or rejection of a complaint under an appealable clause, i.e. Sub-clauses (c) to (f) of Clause 16(2) of the Scheme, can file an appeal before the Appellate Authority in RBI, within 30 days of the date of receipt of communication of the Award (or acceptance of the award by the complainant¹ in case of RE) or rejection of the complaint.

The powers of Appellate Authority are vested with the Executive Director-in-charge of Department of RBI implementing the Scheme. The address of the Appellate Authority is:

The Appellate Authority
Reserve Bank - Integrated Ombudsman Scheme, 2021
Consumer Education and Protection Department
Reserve Bank of India
First Floor, Amar Building, Fort, Mumbai 400 001.

An appeal can be filed through the CMS Portal (https://cms.rbi.org.in) for a closed complaint. Alternatively, the appeal can also be sent vide e-mail at aaos@rbi.org.in.

Further, if the complainant is not satisfied with the resolution provided by the Ombudsman, he/she is at liberty to explore other recourses and/or remedies available, as per law.

Complaints that are closed under Clause 10 (non-maintainable complaints closed at CRPC), Clause 14 (complaints closed through facilitation or mediation or conciliation), Clause 16(1) (non-maintainable complaints closed at ORBIOs), Clause 16(2)(a)/(b) (complaints rejected on the basis of ‘no deficiency of service’ or ‘the compensation sought for the consequential loss is beyond the power of the Ombudsman to award the compensation’) of the RB-IOS, 2021 are not appealable before the Appellate Authority by the complainant or the RE. Further, REs do not have the right to appeal against Awards issued for non-furnishing of documents/information under Clause 15(1)(a) of the RB-IOS, 2021.

An appeal can be filed against the Award or the decision of the RBI Ombudsman rejecting the complaint closed under appealable clauses, within 30 days of the date of receipt of communication of Award or rejection of the complaint. The Appellate Authority, if satisfied that the applicant had sufficient cause for not making an application for appeal within the specified time, may also allow a period of extension not exceeding 30 days.

The Appellate Authority, after examining the appeal and related documents, may act as given under:

1. dismiss the appeal; or

2. allow the appeal and set aside the Award/order of the RBI Ombudsman; or

3. remand the matter to the RBI Ombudsman for fresh disposal in accordance with such directions as the Appellate Authority may consider necessary or proper; or

4. modify the Award/order and pass such directions as may be necessary to give effect to the order of the RBI Ombudsman or Award so modified; or

5. pass any other order as it may deem fit.

Further, the orders of the Appellate Authority shall have the same effect as the Award passed by the RBI Ombudsman or the order rejecting the complaint, as the case may be.

Yes. A complaint can be withdrawn at any stage by the complainant under the Scheme. For withdrawing a complaint, one can log on to the Complaint Management System portal (https://cms.rbi.org.in) and go to the tab “Track a complaint”.

The Scheme is available at the following link /documents/87730/39016390/RBIOS2021_amendments05082022.pdf.

Yes. Complainants can log on to RBI’s CMS portal (https://cms.rbi.org.in) and can share their feedback under the tab “Feedback”. This feedback is analyzed at RBI for further improving the grievance redress under RB-IOS, 2021.

The online portal (https://cms.rbi.org.in) enables filing of complaint in two languages i.e. Hindi and English. However, facts/description of the complaint can be typed, copied and pasted in description box, in any language for upto 2,000 characters. However, the physical and email complaints can be filed in any language.

Macro level: RBI Spreads awareness on RB-IOS, 2021 and related matters through various means including:

1. Awareness campaigns hosted with the tag line “RBI Kehta Hai” and placed on the RBI website at /en/web/rbi/rbi-kehta-hai.

2. Awareness related messages placed on RBI website as well as the CMS portal. This covers cyber-crime awareness including frauds using mobile apps/ UPI/ QR codes etc.

3. Awareness messages on illegal collection of deposits by unauthorized entities are hosted on Sachet portal at https://sachet.rbi.org.in.

4. Messages broadcasted in various multimedia channels including during prime time.

5. RBI has released two booklets, viz., BE(A)WARE on the common modus operandi used by fraudsters and precautions to be taken while carrying out various financial transactions, and ‘Raju and the Forty Thieves’ covering forty stories providing glimpses of various fraudulent means employed by fraudsters, and provides simple tips about Do’s and Don’ts as safeguards against such incidents.

6. All banks also repeatedly send SMS/ email to their customers detailing the modus operandi of different types of frauds and the due diligence required at the customer’s end to safeguard oneself from such frauds.

7. List of Do’s and Don’t is published on the RBI website as tickers.

Apart from the above, various outreaches including by Regional Offices of RBI, Centres for Financial Literacy (CFLs) and Financial Literacy Centres (FLCs), specific awareness programmes, town hall events and display of information/ messages at various public places are being regularly held through RBI Ombudsman Offices. ‘Ombudsman Speak’ too is held in the months of March and repeated in October, every year.

Considering that a large number of customer complaints emanate on account of unsuccessful or ‘failed’ transactions, RBI has issued a circular dated September 20, 2019 on Harmonisation of Turn Around Time (TAT) and customer compensation for failed transactions using authorised Payment Systems wherein the TAT is prescribed for reversing the funds in case of failed transactions. Further, the circular also prescribes a compensation mechanism if there is a delay on the part of Regulated Entity to reverse the funds. The details of the circular are available at /en/web/rbi/-/notifications/harmonisation-of-turn-around-time-tat-and-customer-compensation-for-failed-transactions-using-authorised-payment-systems-11693.