If you read nothing else
- Lender first, always. The Ombudsman will not look at a complaint the lender has not seen.
- Email, not phone. A call leaves no record and the record is the whole point.
- Keep the acknowledgement. You upload it at the next stage.
- Thirty days, then escalate. No reply is itself grounds.
- It costs nothing and you do not need a lawyer or an agent. Anyone charging you for this is selling nothing.
What You Can Complain About
More than people assume. The scheme covers deficiency in service by banks, NBFCs and payment system participants, which in practice includes most of what goes wrong with a loan.
| Complaint | Covered |
|---|---|
| Recovery agents calling outside 8am–7pm, or threatening you | Yes |
| Agents discussing your debt with your employer or neighbours | Yes |
| Charges applied that were never disclosed | Yes |
| Credit report not updated after you closed a loan | Yes |
| NOC or closure letter not issued | Yes |
| Property documents not returned after a loan was repaid | Yes |
| Delays or failures in disbursal without explanation | Yes |
| Loan rejected — no reason given | Generally not. Lending decisions are commercial. |
| The interest rate is too high | No. Pricing is not a service failure. |
The Three Steps
Step 1 — Write to the lender's grievance officer
Every regulated lender must have one, and must publish the contact details. Look for "grievance redressal" on the lender's website, or on your loan statement.
Send email, not a phone call. Attach your evidence. Ask explicitly for a written response. Save the acknowledgement, whatever form it arrives in — a ticket number, an auto-reply, anything.
Step 2 — Wait 30 days
That is the period the lender has to respond. If they reply within it and resolve the matter, you are done. If they reply and it does not resolve it, or they do not reply at all, you move on.
Step 3 — The RBI Ombudsman
File at cms.rbi.org.in. It is free. There is no fee, no lawyer, and no agent required. You will need the details of your original complaint, the lender's reply if there was one, and your evidence.
The step people skip is the step that gets them rejected
By far the commonest reason an Ombudsman complaint fails is that it was filed before the lender was given its thirty days. It is not judged on whether you were wronged; it is closed on process, and you start again having lost a month. The written complaint to the grievance officer is not a formality to be got past — it is the thing that makes the second stage available at all.
What to Actually Write
Short, dated, factual. Not an account of how it has made you feel — a list of what happened and when.
A template that works
Subject: Grievance — Loan account [number] — recovery agent conduct
"I hold loan account [number] with you. I am writing about the conduct of persons recovering on your behalf.
On 14 August at 9:40pm I received a call from 98XXXXXXXX. The caller gave the name Rakesh and said he would come to my office and inform my manager about my loan. On 16 August at 8:15am the same number used abusive language. On 17 August your agency telephoned my brother on 99XXXXXXXX and disclosed the outstanding amount on my account.
Contact outside 8am to 7pm, and disclosure of my debt to third parties, are contrary to the Fair Practices Code. I request an investigation and a written response within 30 days. Recordings and screenshots are attached.
Please acknowledge receipt of this complaint."
Notice what that does. Each incident has a date, a time, a number and a name. Each is tied to a specific rule. It asks for a written response and an acknowledgement. There is no anger in it, which makes it much harder to dismiss.
What to Attach
| Evidence | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| A dated log of every contact | Turns "harassment" into a list of specific breaches |
| Screenshots of messages | Shows exactly what was said and when |
| Call recordings, if you have them | Strongest evidence of language and threats |
| Your loan statement | Establishes the account and any disputed charges |
| The lender's earlier reply, or proof there was none | Required at the Ombudsman stage |
| Names and numbers of anyone who called | Lets the lender trace it to an agency |
Why Complaints Get Rejected
| Reason | How to avoid it |
|---|---|
| Filed before the lender was approached | Always complain to the lender first and keep proof |
| Filed before the 30 days expired | Wait, unless the lender has already refused in writing |
| No supporting evidence | Attach the log and screenshots, not just a description |
| The complaint is about a commercial decision | Rate and approval are not service failures |
| The same matter is already before a court | Choose one route |
| Too vague to act on | Dates, times, numbers, names |
When the RBI Is Not the Right Place
The Ombudsman covers entities the RBI regulates. If there is no regulated lender behind what happened, the route is different.
| Situation | Where to go |
|---|---|
| Bank or NBFC, service failure or agent conduct | Lender, then RBI Ombudsman |
| An app with no regulated lender named | cybercrime.gov.in, helpline 1930, local police |
| Threats of violence, or refusal to leave your property | Police, immediately — 112 |
| Photographs published or contacts messaged | Cyber crime portal and police |
| Errors on your credit report | The bureau's own dispute process first |
How to tell whether a regulated lender sits behind an app is set out on the loan app page.
Nobody should be charging you for this
Filing with the Ombudsman is free and the form is designed for ordinary people. Services that offer to "handle your RBI complaint" for a fee are selling you the act of filling in a web form. If somebody is asking for money upfront to resolve a debt problem, that is reliably the second problem rather than the solution to the first.
After You File
- You get a complaint reference. Keep it.
- The Ombudsman's office may seek more information — respond promptly, because complaints do lapse for silence.
- The lender is asked to respond, which by itself frequently produces a resolution.
- Most matters are settled by agreement. Where they are not, the Ombudsman can pass an award.
- If you are dissatisfied with the outcome, there is an appellate route.
Timelines vary with the complexity of the matter. What reliably shortens them is having filed something specific and evidenced in the first place.
Please note
This page describes the RBI's integrated complaint framework in general terms as it stood when written. Scheme details, coverage and portal addresses change — check cms.rbi.org.in for the current position before filing. Nothing here is legal advice, and this page does not replace advice on your specific facts. Where there are threats or safety concerns, contact the police first. Money Bharti is a loan marketplace, not a lender, and cannot file or pursue a complaint on your behalf.
Questions This Page Gets Asked
How do I complain to the RBI about a bank?
Write to the bank's grievance officer first and keep the acknowledgement. If there is no reply within 30 days, or the reply does not resolve it, file free of charge at cms.rbi.org.in.
Is there a fee for the RBI Ombudsman?
No. It is free, it is online, and you do not need a lawyer or an agent. Anyone charging you to file it is charging for a web form.
Can I complain about a recovery agent?
Yes. Agent conduct is the lender's responsibility, so complain to the bank or NBFC first with a dated log, then escalate if they do not resolve it.
What if the lender does not reply at all?
Silence for 30 days is itself grounds to escalate. Keep proof that you sent the complaint — the acknowledgement, or the sent email with its timestamp.
Does the Ombudsman cover NBFCs and loan apps?
NBFCs, yes. An app is covered only if a regulated bank or NBFC sits behind it. Where none does, the cyber crime portal and the police are the route.
Can I complain about a high interest rate?
Generally no. Pricing is a commercial decision, not a deficiency in service. What is actionable is a charge that was never disclosed, or terms applied differently from what you signed.
How long does the process take?
It varies with the complexity of the matter. Many complaints resolve once the lender is formally asked to respond, which is often faster than people expect.
Will complaining affect my loan or my credit score?
A complaint does not appear on your credit report and does not affect your score. What appears there is repayment history — a separate matter entirely from a service dispute.
Conclusion
The complaints system in Indian lending works better than most people believe, and it fails them for a reason that has nothing to do with the merits: they go to the regulator before going to the lender, and the complaint is closed on process with a month lost.
So the sequence matters more than the eloquence. Email the grievance officer with dates, times, numbers and names, attach what you have, and keep the acknowledgement. Give them the thirty days. Then escalate to cms.rbi.org.in, free, with the reply or the proof there was none.
And keep hold of the fact that a complaint is not an admission of anything. You can owe money and still be entitled to be dealt with properly — the debt is one question, and how you were treated is a completely separate one.
If the underlying problem is the EMIs themselves
Complaints deal with conduct. If the difficulty is that too many expensive EMIs have stacked up, merging them lowers the monthly outgo. Checking is a soft enquiry.
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All rates, fees and eligibility figures on this page are indicative market ranges for illustration and are not an offer. Approval, pricing and the sanctioned amount rest entirely with the bank or NBFC. Money Bharti is a loan marketplace, not a lender. Assess your repayment capacity honestly and read the sanction letter in full before signing. This content is general information, not financial advice.