How to enquire or complain effectively?
Maintaining professional standards is one of our core objectives. Complaints are important and will be properly dealt with. They fall into three categories:
- misunderstanding of the processes being undertaken, often caused by a failure of effective communication by the Debt Agreement Administrator;
- matters that can be readily resolved by discussion;
- serious matters requiring further action.
Most complaints fall into the first category.
We have no jurisdiction to intervene if the practitioner you’re complaining about is not a member of the DAPA. We will however help you find the right regulator to ensure your complaint goes to the right area.
What we will do
We will assess your complaint and then we will advise you what we are doing about it. We do not have many official remedies open to us. However, we can:
- discuss the matter with the practitioner to see if the matter can be resolved;
- refer the matter to the relevant regulator.
What you should do
Before you make a formal complaint to us, or the regulator:
- think carefully about the basis of your concern
- write down your concern in a few sentences
- make a list of the important facts
- write down the outcome you are looking for – what do you want the Debt Agreement Administrator to do?
- call the Debt Agreement Administrator – ideally, arrange a face to face meeting
- put your problem to them in the most direct way you can manage, as calmly as you can
- ask them to comment on the issue and to help you solve the problem
- keep a record of your meeting and conversation
If you have completed the above and still have a concern please gather all your material and prepare a formal complaint in writing and send to us at complaints@dapa.org.au.
