Complaint Handling Policy

Preamble

As with all businesses, we appreciate that matters do not always go as planned or expected; so complaints are part and parcel of doing business, including financial planning services. This policy is to assist you to understand how complaints are handled by us and how you can notify us if you have a complaint.

 

Notification of Complaint

If you are dissatisfied with the service we have provided to you and you want us to take some action to address the situation, you can notify us through:

  • An email to advice@paradigmgroup.com.au with the subject line marked as ‘COMPLAINT’
  • A telephone call to the representative who provided the service or if uncomfortable making that approach directly to 03 8646 4000
  • Visiting our offices

The format of the lodgement can be written or oral.  We may ask you to confirm our understanding of your oral complaint for the purpose of clarity and accuracy.

 

Assistance

If you need assistance in expressing your complaint, then we are prepared to listen and help you to set out the details.  You may nominate a person to act on your behalf, however we will require authorised consent from you (unless they are acting under a Power of Attorney).

If you are more comfortable using a language other than English, interpreter services can be arranged upon request.

 

Our Process

Once we receive your complaint, we will provide you with an acknowledgement in your preferred method of communication with 1 business day.

We will need to gather information from all parties involved in the complaint, and consider that information in light of the situation you have brought to our attention. In order to accomplish this, we may need to contact you during our assessment to clarify or obtain further information.  Our promise is that we will always conduct investigations and assessments in a fair and unbiased manner.

You will receive our final response with clear explanations for our decisions within 30 calendar days of the receipt of the complaint.  However, if your complaint is complex or there are unavoidable delays in receiving requested information from you this may impact our meeting that target. In those unexpected situations we will send you a Delay Notification which will set out the reasons for the delay. You may escalate this to the Australian Financial Complaints Authority whose contact details are set out towards the end of this policy.

Timeframe

As stated above, the timeframe for receipt and assessment of complaints is as follows:

Acknowledgement of a complaint                  24 hours or 1 business day

Final response                                                 30 calendar days generally unless we issue a Delay Notification

 

Contact Us:

Telephone:                  03 8646 4000

Email:                          advice@paradigmgroup.com.au

Face to face:               at our business office, Level 12, 8 Exhibition Street, Melbourne VIC 3000

Contact for the Australian Financial Complaints Authority

Telephone:                  1800 931 678 9:00am–5:00pm AEST/AEDT weekdays

Email;                          info@afca.org.au

Mail:                            Australian Financial Complaints Authority Limited, GPO Box 3, Melbourne, VIC 3001

Online:                        Online complaint form (afca.org.au)

 

Importantly making a complaint is at no cost to you at all at any stage!