Complaining About Recovery Agent Harassment
Lender first, RBI Ombudsman next, police for threats. Here is the route and the timelines.
If a recovery agent abuses, threatens or shames a borrower, there is a fixed route to complain: the lender first, then RBI's Ombudsman. Threats of violence are also a police matter.
Agents should know this route as well as borrowers do. Every complaint lands on the lender, and the lender has every reason to act against the agent and agency involved.
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How to Complain About a Recovery Agent
- 1
Write down what happened
Note dates, times, phone numbers and what was said. Keep screenshots of messages and any call recordings you have. Lenders must record recovery calls and keep them for six months, so you can also ask the lender to check theirs.
- 2
Complain to the lender in writing
Write to the bank or NBFC that gave the loan, not just the agency. Use its grievance redressal officer: from 1 January 2027, RBI requires every recovery letter to carry that officer's name, email, phone number and address. Keep the complaint number.
- 3
Wait up to 30 days for a reply
If the lender rejects the complaint, partly or fully, or does not reply within 30 days, you can go to RBI.
- 4
File with the RBI Ombudsman
Online through RBI's Complaint Management System, by email, or by post to RBI's Centralised Receipt and Processing Centre in Chandigarh. Do it within 90 days of the lender's reply or of the 30-day period ending. Filing is free. The scheme covers banks and NBFCs above a size threshold; complaints against smaller NBFCs go through RBI's other grievance channels.
- 5
Go to the police for threats or violence
Physical threats, violence or intimidation at your home are crimes under general criminal law. A police complaint does not stop you using the RBI route too.
What Happens After a Complaint
| Who | Possible consequence |
|---|---|
| The lender | Must investigate and reply. The RBI Ombudsman can order it to act and pay compensation, including up to ₹3 lakh for harassment, mental anguish, lost time and expenses under the 2026 scheme in force from 1 July 2026. |
| The lender (policy) | From 2027, each lender's recovery policy must provide compensation to borrowers or guarantors harmed by recovery actions that broke RBI's rules. |
| The recovery agency | Lenders must set out penal actions for non-compliant agencies and their agents in their policy, and can end the contract. |
| The agent | Can be removed from recovery work by the agency or lender. Criminal conduct can lead to a police case. |
| Lenders as a group | RBI's 2008 guidelines warned that it could bar a bank from using recovery agents in an area for a period, and extend that ban for persistent breaches. |
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Complain to the Lender, Not Just the Agency
RBI's outsourcing rules make the bank or NBFC responsible for its recovery agents. A complaint sent only to the agency may never reach the lender's records, and the RBI Ombudsman will expect proof that you complained to the lender first.
How the DRA Exam Tests This
Questions here test the order of escalation and who is answerable. The right sequence is lender, then RBI Ombudsman. A frequent wrong option says the borrower must go to court or the Ombudsman first; another says the agency alone is liable.
Numbers to know: 30 days for the lender to respond before RBI can be approached, and 90 days after that to file with the Ombudsman. Lenders keep call recordings for six months.
FAQs
Where can I complain about recovery agent harassment?expand_more
First to the bank or NBFC that gave the loan, through its grievance redressal officer. If it doesn't resolve the complaint within 30 days, or you're unhappy with the reply, file with the RBI Ombudsman. Report threats or violence to the police.
Can I get compensation for harassment by a recovery agent?expand_more
Under the Reserve Bank Integrated Ombudsman Scheme, 2026, in force from 1 July 2026, the RBI Ombudsman can award up to ₹3 lakh for harassment, mental anguish, lost time and expenses, on top of any consequential financial loss it finds, if it decides the lender was at fault.
Is there a helpline for complaints against recovery agents?expand_more
RBI's toll-free number 14448 gives information on how to file and track a complaint. You cannot file the complaint itself over the phone; use RBI's online portal, email or post.
What happens to a recovery agent who harasses a borrower?expand_more
The lender can act against the agency under its recovery policy, including ending the contract, and the agent can lose recovery work. Threats or violence can also lead to a police case.
Next steps
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