Bendigo Bank

refund policy – how to claim your money back

Bendigo Bank offers refunds in a range of situations, provided eligibility criteria are met:

• 🧾 Bank Errors & Fee Mistakes – If Bendigo charged you the wrong fee or made a mistake, they’ll refund the error plus interest. These are often handled via their Customer Remediation program.
  
  
• 🔐 Unauthorised Transactions – Fraudulent charges that you didn’t approve (e.g. card stolen or account hacked) can be refunded under the ePayments Code. Report promptly to be eligible.
  
  
• 💳 Disputed Transactions (Chargebacks) – Didn’t receive your goods or were charged incorrectly? You can dispute card payments under Visa/Mastercard rules (usually within 120 days).
  
  
• 🏦 Direct Debit Errors – Debits taken without your consent or above agreed amounts are refundable under the Direct Debit Guarantee.
  
  
• 🛡 Product Cooling-Off/Cancellations – Recently signed up for insurance or financial products? You may cancel within the cooling-off period (often 14 days) and request a full refund.
  

🛑 Exclusions:

• If you approved the payment (even if scammed into it), Bendigo may deem it “authorised.”
  
  
• Delayed disputes (beyond 45–60 days) may be ineligible.
  
  
• Some fees are non-refundable unless charged in error or the service wasn’t provided.
  

Here’s how to get your refund sorted, step-by-step:

1. 📞 Report the Issue Immediately
   
   
   • Call: 1300 236 344, option 2 > 6 for fraud/disputes (24/7).
     
     
   • Visit a Branch: Speak to staff directly.
     
     
   • Secure Message: Log in via theapp or online banking.
     
     
2. 📝 Fill Out the Necessary Forms
   
   
   • For card disputes, complete the Card Transaction Dispute Form (available online).
     
     
   • For remediation refunds, use the Alternate Account Nomination Form if your Bendigo account is closed.
     
     
3. 📎 Provide Supporting Information
   
   
   • For fraud: transaction details, how/when it occurred.
     
     
   • For merchant disputes: proof of contact, invoices, screenshots.
     
     
   • For fee errors: account statements showing the issue.
     
     
4. 🔐 Verify Your Identity (Remediation Cases)
   If required, complete secure ID verification online or in-branch.
   
   
5. 📨 Receive Confirmation & Refund
   
   
   • For current customers: refund goes to your account.
     
     
   • For ex-customers: funds are transferred to your nominated account.
     
     
6. 🚨 Escalate if Needed
   
   
   • Unhappy? Raise a formal complaint internally.
     
     
   • Still stuck? Escalate to AFCA for an independent review.
     

• 💳 Card Disputes (Chargebacks) – Up to 45 days, but some fraud cases are refunded provisionally within 1–2 weeks.
  
  
• 💼 Bank or Fee Errors – Often resolved within 2–5 business days, especially for obvious issues.
  
  
• 🔁 Remediation Refunds – Paid within 15 business days after you submit required info.
  
  
• 📆 Delays Possible:
  
  
  • Waiting for you to submit a form
    
    
  • Internal investigations
    
    
  • Non-business days (weekends/holidays)
    
    

Tip: Keep communication lines open and follow up if you haven’t heard back by the expected timeframe.

• 🏦 Direct Deposit – Refunds go straight to your Bendigo account or your nominated bank account if you’ve switched.
  
  
• 💳 Credit Card Reversal – If refunding a card transaction, the refund goes back to the credit card account.
  
  
• 📃 Cheque (Fallback) – If you don’t claim a refund within the required time, Bendigo may issue a cheque or send it to unclaimed money registers.
  
  
• 💰 In-Branch (Rare) – Very small or same-day refunds might be credited immediately or given in cash when closing an account.
  
  
• 💵 Refund + Interest – Remediation payments often include compensatory interest (e.g. $105.30 refunded for a $100 error).
  
  

📌 Reminder: Bendigo will never ask for your PIN or full online banking login details to process a refund.

Here’s what can complicate or derail a refund:

• 🔐 OTP Scam Losses – If you approved a transaction using your login or a one-time passcode, Bendigo may deny the refund (deemed “authorised”).
  
  
• ❌ Missed Remediation Notices – If you moved or changed contact details, you might miss refund notices. Check if you're eligible.
  
  
• ⏳ Processing Delays – Some customers report long response times on dispute forms. Follow up with Bendigo via phone or branch if needed.
  
  
• 💸 Fee Eligibility Confusion – You might’ve been on the wrong account type for years. If so, ask for a refund of those fees (especially if you hold a concession card).
  
  
• 🚫 Chargeback Denials – If the merchant provides strong evidence (e.g. delivery confirmation), your dispute may be rejected.
  
  
• 💳 ATM or Foreign Fees – Not automatically refunded, but many customers get one-off refunds if they ask politely.