Navigating Complex Bureaucracies

01 Nov Navigating Complex Bureaucracies

Dear Here to Help,

I’m so frustrated. I don’t know where to start! I guess the best way to explain is that so many large bureaucracies insist that we, ordinary unsophisticated people, abide by ridiculous rules they create, but those same bureaucracies refuse to follow their own rules. They are the ones with all the power and money and staff, but they don’t do the right thing, all the while enforcing stupid time limits and rules on us.

Do you have any suggestions?

Oh boy! I hear you. Large corporates and governments are both offenders. Here’s my own experience. Hopefully, it can give you ideas for next steps.

I had an automatic debit arrangement with a large financial corporation (let’s call them “the offender”). They sent me a letter, stating that the automatic debit was coming up and how much it would be. Simple, right?

The next thing I knew, my credit card was declined. I logged into my credit card and the offender had massively overcharged me!

To fix the offender’s error, I had to log into my internet banking several times a day, and transfer money into my credit card account before I could use it – for over a month.

I immediately complained to the offender, providing them with evidence of how much they were meant to charge and how much they did charge. Surely, anyone in their right mind would look at the offender’s own paperwork and immediately rectify the issue? Wrong!

After several complaint emails, the offender contacted me, asking for “more details”, and saying it had been allocated for rectification in 5 days, unless it was a complex issue.

Then, silence.

All the while, my credit card transactions are being declined and I am being charged additional credit card fees.

Tired of being ignored by the offender, I complained to the Australian Financial Complaints Authority and asked my credit card provider to reverse the transaction, as a clear overcharge.

This sparked some interest from the offender, and over a month later, they finally refunded my money (in 2 instalments). The offender refused my request to refund the credit card fees that resulted from their overcharging.

The credit card provider stated the following to me, “the [offender] declined the request as there was not sufficient information provided to indicate the incorrect amount was charged.” This was false; I clearly established the incorrect amount was charged – the letter which stated the amount due and the screenshot of how much was charged.

This felt like big bank buddies sticking together – any small business overcharges have always been quickly refunded by my credit card provider.

To make matters worse, the offender then started sending me letters that were personally distressing.

The matter is still with the Australian Financial Complaints Authority. The offender has no interest or inclination to resolve the issue. Nearly 5 years after the Banking Royal Commission, large Australian financial institutions continue to act like spoilt children used to having our cake and eating it too.

My next step will be a complaint to the regulators; APRA and ASIC.

Luckily, with government agencies, there are more levers available to consumers to help assure satisfactory outcomes and accountability. These include freedom of information, ombudsman, and others.

This article comes from my column entitled “Here to Help” in Hunter Local, November 2024. If you have an everyday problem just begging for a simple, real world solution, send it to “Here to Help” and let’s see what we can achieve.

Elaine Abery has a closet full of great ideas and empowering solutions. She’s also the Director of Unravelling Red Tape, a company dedicated to helping everyday people, not-for-profits and companies change the world through improved decision-making and legislation.