How to make a complaint to Zenith Bank

In this article, we shall provide a guide to making a complaint to Zenith Bank in Nigeria.

Due to the nature of the banking services that Zenith Bank provides to customers in Nigeria – dealing with your money, when things go wrong, it can indeed be an extremely frustrating and stressful time when things go wrong.

Zenith Bank has a structure in place for customers to channel any grievances, however most Zenith Bank customers are not aware of this. That is why we have written this post, to briefly lay out the steps customers should follow when they want to make complaints to Zenith Bank.

Zenith Bank transactions generally happen smoothly and with no issues, however there are times when Zenith Bank fails in its service to you, or there is an issue which you need resolved. Some of the issues Zenith Bank customers face are POS errors, dispense errors, unauthorised transactions etc.

In this article we lay out a step-by-step plan to resolve an issue with Zenith Bank customer care.

Step 1

Once the problem arises, the first step is to contact the Zenith Bank through the quickest channels available. In this case, you can either call them on the customer care numbers available, or even contact them on social media. This should always be step one, because most times the information you need resolved can be done quickly and relatively painlessly.

However, whatever communication channel you choose, please make note of the details of the communication e.g., if a phone call, take down details of when you called, who you spoke to (the advisor’s name), what you said, and the response you received. All phone calls are recorded so this can easily be reviewed if there are issues later. Therefore, the fastest ways to initially resolve the issue with Zenith Bank customer care are:

• Social Media: Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/Zenithbank ; Twitter: @ZenithBank; Instagram: @zenithbankplc
• WhatsApp Banking – +234-7040004422
• Email: zenithdirect@zenithbank.com
• Telephone: 234-1-2787000, 0700ZENITHBANK

 If you have attempted a card transaction on a POS or an attempted ATM withdrawal and your account has been debited but you neither received the value for the transaction nor received a reversal after 24 hours, Zenith bank has an online form which you can fill out and submit to effect a reversal of your funds.  You can find the form here –

https://www.zenithbank.com/resolve-atm-pos-issues/

 The Zenith Bank complaint form is quite detailed as to what information is required. It requests the following information:

• Account Number
• Transaction Date
• Last 6 Card Digits
• Amount

Step 2

If the issue remains unresolved, then you need to commence the official customer complaint process. Zenith Bank is regulated by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), and the CBN set out the process to be followed in its Circular – FPR/DIR/CIR/GEN/01/020 in 2011.

The CBN states that the Zenith Bank must provide email addresses for complaints. As Zenith Bank has an online complaint form process, this makes it easier to make complaints.

The detail of the complaint is where you must capture all the relevant information about your complaint. It is the most important part of the process, and therefore you need to ensure you capture the right information. We created a free template to help you with the text that you put it into the detail. Download the template here – Bank Complaint Details Template

Step 3

The CBN guidelines say that the Zenith Bank must resolve your complaint within 14 days of receipt of the complaint. If for some reason, the Zenith Bank has not satisfactorily resolved the complaint, you may take the issue to the Consumer Protection Department of the CBN. They will then attempt to resolve the complaint. Please note that you can only take the issue to the CBN after you have made a complaint to the Zenith Bank and given them 14 days after receipt of the complaint, to resolve it. Apart from resolving the complaint, the CBN also has the powers to impose financial penalties on the Zenith Bank for failure to resolve your complaint.

When making your complaint to the CBN that Zenith Bank has failed to resolve the issue within the required period, you will need to include the following information:

• Name, Address, Contact Phone Number & E-mail of the Complainant (this is you);
• Personal banking details (Do NOT include PIN & Passwords, please;)
• History/Date of the transaction in dispute;
• Amount claimed (if any);
• Attach relevant documents to support you claim and;
• Evidence to show that you have first lodged the complaint at your bank.

When you contact the CBN you are essentially making an appeal, and therefore you are not only explaining the original issue, but also why Zenith Bank’s response (if any) is unsatisfactory.

Step 4

The CBN does not provide any timelines for dealing with the complaints, but this should be done within a reasonable time. Hopefully, the CBN resolves the complaint between you and Zenith Bank. However, if the CBN fails to resolve the complaint, you have the right to take the case to court.

In any situation, you always have the right to take any complaint to court, but you have to exhaust all pre-court resolution options first. This final step should only be taken as a last resort, because taking a case to court is an involved process and potentially expensive. You should only take this step if the amount involved is considerable, and the decision to not resolve your complaint by Zenith Bank and the CBN is manifestly unjust.

Finally, another option is to consider making a complaint to the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission in Nigeria, our article here explains the process.

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We hope you have found this information helpful. Please note that this information is provided for general informational purposes only and is not intended to be legal advice. No lawyer-client relationship is formed nor should any such relationship be implied. This answer is not intended to substitute for the advice of a qualified lawyer. If you require legal advice, please consult with a qualified lawyer.