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How complaint systems work

How consumer complaint databases work

Last checked 24 October 2026 · 10 sources

Short answer

Official complaint data comes from three kinds of source. Some regulators collect complaints from the public and publish them, as the US Consumer Financial Protection Bureau does 1. Others require firms to report the complaints they receive, as the UK Financial Conduct Authority does every six months 2. Ombudsman schemes publish data on the cases they handle, such as the UK Financial Ombudsman Service 3 and AFCA in Australia 4. Each type counts different things, and the FCA says ombudsman data should not be compared directly with its own 5.
CFPB complaints received, 2025
More than 6.6 million 6
FCA firm-reported complaints, 1 January to 30 June 2026
1.85 million 5
Financial Ombudsman Service new complaints, 2025/26
214,600 3
RBI Ombudsman complaints received, 2024-25
13,34,244 7
FCAC reportable complaints, 2025-26
236,324 8

Three kinds of complaint data

Consumer-filed databases take complaints straight from the public. The CFPB sends complaints to companies for a response and publishes them in its Consumer Complaint Database 1. The US Federal Communications Commission publishes complaint records using data the consumer provided, and it says it does not verify the facts alleged 9.

Firm-reported data comes from the businesses. UK regulated firms send complaints data to the FCA every six months as part of their regulatory reporting 5. In Australia, ASIC shows firm-level internal dispute resolution data that firms submit every six months 10. Canada's Financial Consumer Agency (FCAC) received 236,324 reportable complaints from federally regulated entities in the year to 31 March 2026, according to the text of its annual report. The report's product table prints a total of 236,329 8.

Ombudsman data covers cases that reach an independent scheme. The Financial Ombudsman Service publishes new complaints and the share it upheld, by product 3. The Australian Financial Complaints Authority (AFCA) publishes a datacube with data on its members 4. The Reserve Bank of India publishes an annual report on its Integrated Ombudsman Scheme (RB-IOS) 7.

How a complaint enters the record

  • CFPB: only complaints sent to companies for a response can be published. Publication happens after the company responds or after 15 days, whichever comes first 1.
  • CFPB: complaints the Bureau refers to other regulators are not published 1.
  • FCA: a complaint is an expression of dissatisfaction about a financial product or service provided by a regulated firm 5.
  • AFCA: complaints received are counted at the Registration and Referral stage of its process 4.
  • RBI: a Centralised Receipt and Processing Centre in Chandigarh receives physical and email complaints, and 24 Offices of the RBI Ombudsman handle cases 7.

What the main bodies publish

BodyMeasurePeriodFigure
CFPB (US) 6Complaints received 6Calendar year 2025 6More than 6.6 million 6
FCA (UK) 5Complaints received, reported by firms 51 January to 30 June 2026 51.85 million 5
Financial Ombudsman Service (UK) 3New complaints 3Financial year 2025/26 3214,600 3
RBI Ombudsman (India) 7Complaints received under RB-IOS 7FY 2024-25 713,34,244 7
FCAC (Canada) 8Reportable complaints from regulated entities 81 April 2025 to 31 March 2026 8236,324 8

Why totals differ between bodies

Each body counts at a different stage. The FCA says Financial Ombudsman Service data measures different things and should not be compared directly with FCA data 5. In the first half of 2026 firms upheld 54.8% of the complaints they closed 5. The Financial Ombudsman Service upheld 30% of the complaints it resolved in 2025/26 3.

Scope differs too. The FCA aggregate figures leave out firms authorised only for consumer credit 5. The CFPB total for 2025 counts complaints it referred to other regulators (3%) and complaints it found not actionable (7%) 6.

Counting rules vary. FCAC says one complaint can be assigned to more than one product, so product totals may exceed the complaint total 8. ASIC says one complaint can list up to three products, issues and outcomes 10.

How often data is updated

The CFPB database usually updates daily 1. The FCA publishes every six months, around April and October 2. ASIC updates its dashboard twice a year after each submission window 10.

Published figures can change. The FCA says historic figures may change if firms correct or resubmit data 5. ASIC says firms can amend data for past periods during open submission windows 10.

Common questions

Is a complaint database a record of wrongdoing?

The bodies do not present it that way. The CFPB says its database is not a statistical sample of consumers' experiences 1. ASIC says a high complaint count does not necessarily indicate poor performance 10.

Who checks the facts in a complaint?

The FCC says it does not verify the facts alleged in complaints 9. ASIC says IDR data is self-reported and it does not verify that reports match firms' complaint handling 10.

Why are CFPB totals so large?

Credit or consumer reporting made up more than 5.8 million of the complaints the CFPB received in 2025, or 88% 6.

Which UK firms must publish their own complaints data?

Firms that report 500 or more complaints in six months, or 1,000 or more in a year, about 290 firms 2.

Rules and charges change. Check the official source linked on this page before you pay or travel. Spotted an error? Email hello@consumercomplaintstats.com.

Sources

  1. CFPB: Consumer Complaint Database
  2. FCA: Complaints data
  3. Financial Ombudsman Service: Annual complaints data and insight 2025/26 (21 May 2026)
  4. AFCA Datacube: Glossary of key terms
  5. FCA: Complaints data: 2026 H1 (22 October 2026)
  6. CFPB: Consumer Response Annual Report, January 1 to December 31, 2025 (March 2026)
  7. Reserve Bank of India: Annual Report of Ombudsman Scheme, 2024-25 (1 December 2025)
  8. Financial Consumer Agency of Canada: Annual report 2025 to 2026 (13 October 2026)
  9. FCC: About the Complaint Data
  10. ASIC: Internal dispute resolution data dashboard (3 June 2026)

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