Some complaints we receive are about issues outside the scope of our responsibilities.
Before you make a complaint, please check to ensure you are contacting the right organisation.
Here are some of the specific areas we don't cover, including details on what other organisations can help instead. We don’t cover:
Legal advice
We do not provide legal advice. In most cases you will need to talk to a qualified legal adviser who can tell you how the law applies to you and your particular circumstances. For free advice see the Citizens Advice Bureau.
Competition law and fair dealing
For matters about anti-competitive practices contact the Commerce Commission.
For complaints about misleading or deceptive conduct for financial products and services that occurred before 1 April 2014, you should contact the Commerce Commission.
Registered companies and other entities
We cannot advise on whether a company is legitimate or if you should deal with a particular company. To see if a company is registered, contact the New Zealand Companies Office.
The Companies Office also maintains registers for a range of entities such as incorporated societies, charitable trusts, and limited partnerships.
Financial Service Providers Register
We don’t register financial service providers; the Financial Service Providers Register (FSPR) is maintained by the New Zealand Companies Office. You can check the Financial Service Providers Register to see if a person or business is registered.
Financial service providers are not required to be monitored by the FMA simply as a result of registration. We check the qualifications, competence and good character of financial service providers and monitor them only if they are directly licensed by us.
Consumer scams
You can check out Consumer Protection for scams known to be circulating in New Zealand and you can report a scam on their website. If the scam relates to an illegal investment offer or scheme you should also contact the FMA.
In addition, you can also report any online incidents such as scams, frauds, privacy breaches or suspicious spam messages to NetSafe.
Credit (including hire purchase) and debt
Consumer Protection and the Commerce Commission have information about your rights when you use credit cards, store cards, buy goods or services on credit or get cash loans.
If you're worried about a loan you've got with a finance company, you can also contact Consumer Protection.
Resolving disputes
We don't get involved with individuals' disputes. All financial service providers who offer financial services to retail clients must belong to an independent dispute resolution scheme.
Your financial service provider must provide the name of their dispute resolution scheme in their disclosure documents, or you can search for it on the Financial Service Provider Register.
There are four schemes and they offer free services to help you resolve disputes:
Advice on making investment decisions
While we don't give specific investment advice, general information is available in our Consumer section of this site. You can also find information on investing on the Sorted website.
Advice on buying and selling a property
The Real Estate Agents Authority has information on your rights when you buy and sell a property. They will consider complaints about behaviour of real estate agents.
Identity theft, financial crimes or fraud
You should contact the Police in the first instance.
The Serious Fraud Office investigates serious or complex fraud.
Advice on choosing a financial adviser
We do not give any advice on choosing a financial adviser - but we do offer you some tips on getting financial advice.
You can also visit the Sorted website to find out more about how to choose a financial adviser and how to get good financial or investment advice.
Prudential supervision of banks and insurers
The Reserve Bank of New Zealand (RBNZ) registers banks, licenses insurers (insurance companies) and undertakes their prudential supervision. You'll find further information on the RBNZ website.
Media advertising
While we regulate advertisements of securities, media advertisements must also comply with the Advertising Standards Authority's Code of Practice for Financial Advertising. You can find more information about the Advertising Standards Authority and its code of practice.
Professionals offering financial services
Some professionals offering financial services may be regulated by an independent body such as:
New Zealand Institute of Chartered Accountants
New Zealand Law Society
New Zealand Society of Conveyancers
Free confidential budgeting advice
The MoneyTalks helpline gives free and confidential budgeting advice. Expert financial mentors can help via phone, text, live chat and email. Visit the MoneyTalks website, phone 0800 345 123, email help@moneytalks.co.nz, or text 4029
