My bank deducted unauthorised charges from my account. Is this a consumer complaint?

Question

My bank keeps deducting maintenance and 'processing' charges I never agreed to. Can I take this to the consumer forum? What I am unsure about is the procedure — where the application goes, what it costs, and how long bank wrongful charges matters usually take. A plain explanation of the steps, in order, would help more than a general answer.

MyVakeel Legal Desk · Accepted Answer

The law that applies to bank wrongful charges here is Consumer Protection Act 2019, Section 2(11) and Reserve Bank of India (Banking Ombudsman) Scheme / Integrated Ombudsman Scheme 2021. The detail below matters, because Consumer Protection Act 2019, Section 2(11) draws the line differently depending on what your documents show.

Banking services rendered for a fee fall squarely within 'service' under Section 2(11), and unauthorised or undisclosed charges amount to deficiency in service.

RBI's fair practices code requires banks to clearly disclose all charges upfront; hidden or unilaterally revised charges without notice can be challenged.

The RBI Integrated Ombudsman Scheme 2021 provides a free, faster grievance redressal mechanism you should generally try before approaching a Consumer Commission.

Consumer Commissions have directed banks to refund wrongful deductions with interest and pay compensation for mental agony caused by repeated wrongful debits.

For fraud-related unauthorised transactions, RBI's limited liability circular fixes the customer's liability based on how promptly the fraud was reported.

What this means for you: 1) Raise a written complaint with your bank's branch manager and nodal grievance officer; 2) If unresolved within 30 days, escalate to the RBI Integrated Ombudsman via its online portal; 3) If still dissatisfied, file a consumer complaint for refund of wrongful charges plus compensation; 4) Keep your account statements and all written complaint acknowledgments as evidence.

Where the facts are disputed, what usually decides a bank wrongful charges matter is the paper trail — dated complaints, acknowledgments and written replies under Consumer Protection Act 2019, Section 2(11). You can post the details on the MyVakeel forum for a practising advocate to review, or book a paid consultation with a Bar Council verified lawyer in consumer law.