Most borrower complaints go nowhere because they go to the wrong place, or because the borrower skips a step and the regulator sends them back to the lender. This guide gives you the right order. It is part of our borrower rights checklist for India, which covers everything a regulated lender owes you, from the Key Fact Statement to fair recovery.
Step zero: is your lender regulated by the RBI?
Everything below depends on one question: who actually lent you the money? A bank, an RBI-registered NBFC, or a loan app working for one of them is a regulated entity, and you can use the RBI’s complaint system against it. An app with no regulated lender behind it is a different problem. Report it, don’t negotiate with it.
Your loan agreement and KFS name the lender. If an app can’t tell you which bank or NBFC is lending, check it in the RBI’s directory of digital lending apps; our guide to checking a loan app’s RBI registration shows you how.
Which door for which problem
| Your problem | Go here first | Then escalate to |
|---|---|---|
| Wrong charges, fees not shown in the KFS, refund not received | Lender’s grievance redressal officer | RBI CMS / Ombudsman |
| Rude or threatening recovery calls from a registered lender’s agent | Lender’s grievance officer, in writing | RBI CMS; police if there are threats |
| Loan closed but still showing as open, or wrong data in your credit report | Lender and the credit bureau (dispute) | RBI CMS (lenders and bureaus are both covered) |
| Unregistered app, illegal lender, fake deposit or loan scheme | Sachet (sachet.rbi.org.in) | Local police |
| Morphed photos, messages to your contacts, extortion, online fraud | Cybercrime helpline 1930 or cybercrime.gov.in | Local police station |
General information, not legal advice. For threats to your safety, contact the police immediately.
Step 1: complain to the lender, in writing
Every regulated lender must have a grievance redressal mechanism and publish the name and contact details of its grievance redressal officer. Under the RBI’s Digital Lending Directions, 2025, these details must appear on the lender’s website, on its app and on the KFS, and the lender stays responsible for resolving complaints even when the app is run by a lending service provider.
Write to the officer by email or through the lender’s grievance form. A phone call is fine for a quick fix, but the RBI will later ask for proof that you complained in writing, so always follow up with an email.
- Your name, registered mobile number and loan account number.
- What happened, with dates, in three to five short sentences.
- What you want: a refund of a named amount, a corrected record, a stop to calls, a closure letter.
- Copies of the KFS, statement, screenshots or call recordings.
- A request for a complaint reference number.
Not sure how to word it? Use our ready-to-use borrower complaint letters.
The timeline, in one chart
From your first complaint to the RBI Ombudsman
Based on the Reserve Bank – Integrated Ombudsman Scheme, 2026, in force from 1 July 2026. Some categories (for example certain fraud and chargeback disputes) follow longer resolution timelines. Check the scheme on rbi.org.in before filing.
Step 2: escalate to the RBI
The Integrated Ombudsman Scheme, 2026 replaced the 2021 scheme on 1 July 2026. The key changes for borrowers: you now have 90 days to file (the old window was one year), and the Ombudsman can award more. The essentials as of October 2026:
Who is covered. Banks, credit information companies and NBFCs that take deposits or have a customer interface with assets of ₹100 crore or more, along with other regulated entities. If your NBFC is smaller, you can still file on the same RBI portal; it is examined by the RBI outside the Ombudsman process.
How to file. Online at cms.rbi.org.in, by email to crpc@rbi.org.in, or by post to the Centralised Receipt and Processing Centre, Reserve Bank of India, 4th Floor, Sector 17, Central Vista, Chandigarh 160017. The RBI contact centre on 14448 helps you file.
What the Ombudsman can award. There is no cap on the amount in dispute. On top of that it can award up to ₹30 lakh for consequential loss and up to ₹3 lakh for loss of time, expenses, harassment and mental anguish.
What it won’t hear. Matters of a lender’s commercial judgement, which usually covers a straightforward decision not to lend to you; matters already before a court; and complaints you never raised with the lender first. Being refused a loan is rarely an Ombudsman case, but being refused without any communication, or being charged for a loan you never received, can be. See your right to know why a loan was rejected.
Filing on cms.rbi.org.in: step by step
Keep your documents ready
Your complaint to the lender, its reply (if any), the KFS, loan statements and screenshots, as PDFs or images.
Choose the entity type and name
Select bank or NBFC and pick the lender’s exact registered name from the list, not the app’s brand name.
Describe the problem and the relief
State facts and dates, then the exact outcome you want: a refund of ₹4,720, a corrected credit record, a written apology, compensation.
Note your complaint number
You can track status online. The Ombudsman may call both sides, try to settle the matter, or pass an award.
Accept or appeal
If you disagree with an award or rejection, you can appeal to the RBI’s appellate authority within 30 days of receiving it.
When the lender isn’t regulated at all
The Ombudsman can’t act against an app that has no bank or NBFC behind it. Report it on Sachet, the RBI’s portal for unauthorised lenders and deposit schemes, which passes reports to the authority that can act. If you are being threatened, if your photos have been edited, or your contacts are being messaged, call 1930 or report at cybercrime.gov.in, and file a police complaint. Don’t pay “settlement” amounts to stop harassment. Our guide to fake and illegal loan apps explains what to do next.
Complaints that tend to work
- Specific, dated and documented.
- One clear ask with a rupee figure.
- Raised with the lender first, in writing.
- Filed with the RBI inside the 90 days.
Complaints that stall
- Phone calls with no written trail.
- Filed against the app brand, not the lender.
- Several issues mixed into one long letter.
- Filed after the deadline.
If the real problem is the debt itself
Many complaints about recovery calls come from borrowers juggling several short-term app loans. A complaint can stop bad behaviour, but it doesn’t reduce what you owe. If that is your situation, compare what the app loans are costing you each month with our loan app cost calculator, and read how lenders must treat you in the RBI’s rules for recovery agents.
Juggling several loan-app EMIs?
SmartSwitch replaces your app loans with one Omozing loan and one EMI, paid into your own account. You close each app loan and share the NOCs.
Frequently asked questions
How long does a lender have to reply to my complaint?
Under the RBI Integrated Ombudsman Scheme, 2026, you can escalate to the RBI if the lender rejects your complaint, you are not satisfied with its reply, or it does not respond within 30 days. Some fraud-related categories follow longer timelines.
Is there a fee to complain to the RBI Ombudsman?
No. The RBI does not charge any fee to lodge or pursue a complaint under the Integrated Ombudsman Scheme. Be wary of agents who ask for money to file on your behalf.
How long do I have to file with the RBI?
Under the 2026 scheme, within 90 days from the end of the lender’s response period or its last communication, whichever is later. The earlier one-year window no longer applies to new complaints.
Can I complain against an NBFC or loan app?
Yes, if a regulated bank or NBFC is behind the loan. Complain to the lender’s grievance officer first, then to the RBI on cms.rbi.org.in. Apps with no regulated lender behind them should be reported on Sachet and to the police.
Can the RBI make a lender approve my loan?
Generally no. A decision on whether to lend is a lender’s commercial judgement, which the Ombudsman does not review. It can act on service failures, such as unfair charges, wrong credit reporting or poor recovery conduct.
What is the RBI complaint helpline number?
The RBI contact centre number is 14448. You can also file online at cms.rbi.org.in or email crpc@rbi.org.in. For cyber fraud or extortion, call 1930.
Sources (checked October 2026): Reserve Bank – Integrated Ombudsman Scheme, 2026 (effective 1 July 2026); RBI (Digital Lending) Directions, 2025 (8 May 2025); RBI Sachet portal; National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal. Rules change: check rbi.org.in before acting. General information, not legal advice.
Omozing is the digital lending brand of Aparampaar Finance Private Limited, an RBI-registered non-deposit-taking NBFC. See our regulatory disclosures and grievance redressal process.