Complaint and Dispute Resolution Guide
The directors, managers and staff of WhiteStar Group and associated companies understand that, although we do our best to provide you with a high level of service, you may at times feel that there are issues that have not been resolved to your satisfaction. At this point you may feel dissatisfied but are unsure how to have your complaint resolved.
So that clients have the opportunity to make these complaints known, we have developed a Complaint and Dispute Resolution Procedure as an additional service to clients, free of charge.
This means:
- You have a way of having your complaint addressed;
- Management will be aware of the issue that is of concern to you; and
- Procedures and products can be adjusted, where appropriate, to improve our services.
What is a complaint?
A complaint is a verbal or written expression of dissatisfaction by a client about a product or service provided by one of the WhiteStar Group of Companies.
What is a Dispute?
A dispute arises if you make a complaint to WhiteStar Group about a product or service, and are not satisfied with the response that you receive and wish to pursue the matter further.
Complaint and Dispute Resolution Steps
Outlined below is the process to follow in relation to complaints with the following companies which are a part of WhiteStar Group.
Members of the WhiteStar Group include: Interlink Group Pty Ltd, ABN: 32 062 722 632; Finance Selection Services Pty Ltd, ABN: 34 077 188 517; Mortgage Selection Services Pty Ltd, ABN: 96 080 116 454; Mortgage Resource Centre Pty Ltd, ABN: 51 088 211 803; WhiteStar Finance Pty Ltd, ABN: 13 085 123 539 Australian Credit Licence 383519; Axcelerator Pty Ltd, ABN: 85 103 853 023; WhiteStar Property Pty Ltd, ABN: 98 101 515 842, ACN: 101 515 842, Real Estate Iicence number: 072495L; WhiteStar Accounting Pty Ltd, ABN: 35 093 971 727.
1. How to make a complaint
In most circumstances, your complaint can be settled to your satisfaction by simply making us aware of it. You can raise your complaint with our staff personally by telephone, or in an email to info@whitestar.com.au or via the “contact us” form located on our website. If a staff member is unable to handle the matter, it will be referred to a more senior or experienced person. In the majority of cases, your complaint will be dealt with promptly and to your satisfaction.
2. Registering your complaint
If your complaint cannot be resolved to your satisfaction by our staff personally, you may request to have your complaint referred to the Complaints Officer who will register your complaint and advise you of our process to deal with your complaint. You can also contact the Complaints Officer directly to register your complaint, as follows:
Internal Dispute Resolution
The Complaints Officer – WhiteStar Group
Telephone: 1300 652 842 or (03) 8514 4200
Email:info@whitestar.com.au
Website: whitestar.com.au
Post: Ground Floor, 88 Ricketts Road, Mount Waverley Vic 3149
3. Investigation
So that the Complaints Officer can properly investigate your complaint, we may need to collect some information from you. We will ask that you provide details to us in writing.
4. We will endeavor to deal with your complaint within 5 business days
If your complaint cannot be resolved immediately, we will respond to your request within 2 business days of receipt of the complaint. We will keep you updated of the progress and, if resolution takes longer than 5 business days, provide you with a written final response no later than 45 days from the date of the registered complaint. If resolution cannot be achieved within 45 days, we will provide a written explanation as to the reason.
5. Disputes:
Complaints which are not resolved to the satisfaction of the client become disputes.
External Dispute Resolution Schemes:
6. If you are unhappy with any decision or the handling of a complaint by us, you can refer your complaint to our external dispute resolution provider below. External dispute resolution is a free service, established to provide you with an independent mechanism to resolve specific complaints.
WhiteStar Finance Pty Ltd Australian Credit Licence Number 383519 is registered with the Australian Financial Complaints Authority (AFCA), an independent external dispute resolution (EDR) scheme. It provides our clients with a confidential and independent alternative to expensive legal proceedings.
Australian Financial Complaints Authority (AFCA)
[Refer to FOS until November 2018]
Telephone: 1800 931 678
Email: info@afc.org.au
Website: www.afc.org.au
Post: GPO Box 3, Melbourne VIC 3001
Complaints Pertaining to WhiteStar Property Pty Ltd
WhiteStar Property Pty Ltd is a licensed real estate agency and a full member of the REIV. If you have a complaint that has not been attended to by WhiteStar Property, please refer your complaint to Consumer Affairs Victoria www.consumer.vic.gov.au or on 1300 558 181.
WhiteStar Group of Companies also deals with many product and service providers and most industries i.e. Insurance, have established their own dispute resolution processes. WhiteStar staff are happy to advise you on how to access these schemes by simply contacting our offices on 1300 652 842.
