Glossary – Banking Cases
Complaint status definitions
Complaints received
Cases in which OBSI received the consumer documents.
Opened cases
A case is opened by OBSI once we receive a complaint from a consumer that meets the criteria set out in our Terms of Reference, and we have assigned it to an investigator.
Final recommendations made
Cases which were closed by OBSI, regardless of outcome.
Complaint denied - within mandate
Cases closed by OBSI after investigation, with no recommendation for compensation, excluding those found to be out of mandate after investigation.
Resolved to the satisfaction of complainant
Cases closed by OBSI in which both consumer and firm agreed on the settlement. These include:
- Monetary settlements where OBSI has found that the complaint merited some compensation, including monetary settlements where OBSI deemed a firm's original offer to be fair.
- Non-monetary resolutions, such as a letter of apology, correcting a credit bureau record or an explanatory letter to a consumer’s creditors.
- Settlements before an investigation where the firm and complainant come to a resolution before an investigation has formally begun.
Settlement before investigation
Cases closed by OBSI after opening but before the investigation is concluded, due to settlement between consumer and firm.
Original offer by firm deemed fair
Cases closed by OBSI which had a recommendation for compensation that was of an amount equal to or less than that originally offered by the firm.