Clients get their own back

11 May 2004 - Finance 24

Aggrieved banking clients received R11.1m back from banks in 2003, the Ombudsman for Banking Services said on Tuesday.

Banking Ombudsman Neville Melville said that his office continued to improve service delivery between banks and clients during 2003. He added that there was greater emphasis on mediation between banks and clients than in the past.

"Mediation is a far more amicable means of resolving a dispute," he said.

Melville's main regret was that banks did not do more to make their clients aware of the Banking Ombudsman's services.

The number of case files opened by the Ombudsman's office had increased by about 16% over the previous year.