Complaints: how we handle them, and what happens next
If something has gone wrong, or you feel you have been treated unfairly, we want to hear about it. This page sets out how to lodge a complaint, what we will do, how long each stage takes, and the external route open to you if we cannot resolve the matter to your satisfaction.
1. Introduction and our commitment
Pepperstone AI treats every complaint as information about where our service falls short. Complaints are handled by the Client Support & Compliance department, recorded in a central register, reviewed by staff who were not involved in the events complained about, and answered in writing. Making a complaint will never affect your access to the platform, your account standing, or the service your personal manager provides.
2. The process, step by step
Lodge the complaint
Email [email protected] with "Complaint" in the subject line, or raise the matter with your personal manager, who must pass it on the same working day.
Acknowledgement
We confirm receipt in writing within one business day, give you a reference number, and tell you who is handling the matter.
Investigation
The handler reviews your account records, the audit trail and any correspondence, and contacts you if anything needs clarifying. Complex cases may take longer; we tell you rather than going quiet.
Written outcome
You receive a written response explaining what we found, what we will do about it, and, where the answer is no, why.
3. What to include
Please provide your full name and registered email, the date and time of the events, what happened from your point of view, the names of any staff you dealt with if you know them, and any relevant emails or screenshots. Do not include passwords, full card numbers, or one-time codes; we will never need them for a complaint, and sending them creates a fresh security risk.
4. Timelines
Acknowledgement within one business day of receipt. A substantive answer, or a status update with a reason for the delay, within 15 business days. Complaints involving third parties, such as a bank or payment provider, can run longer; in those cases we update you at least every 10 business days until resolved. Events older than two years may be harder to reconstruct, so raise matters while records are fresh.
5. External dispute resolution
If our written outcome does not resolve the matter, or 15 business days pass without an answer, you may escalate through the external dispute-resolution pathway. For Australian clients this is AFCA, the Australian Financial Complaints Authority, which handles complaints about financial services provided to Australian consumers. Escalating externally is your right, and using it does not affect anything on your account.
6. Our commitments to you
We will acknowledge promptly, investigate impartially, keep you informed without needing to chase, answer in plain English rather than template language, protect the confidentiality of your complaint, and fix the underlying cause where one is found, not just the individual case. Complaints about our complaints handling can be raised the same way and are reviewed separately.
7. Complaints about unauthorised activity or fraud
If your complaint concerns transactions you did not authorise, or someone impersonating us, tell us immediately and we will treat it as a security matter in parallel: the account can be frozen, pending withdrawals suspended, and the audit trail preserved while the complaint is investigated. Time matters in these cases, so a short phone-quality description sent straight away is better than a perfect account sent two days later.
8. Contact details
Complaints go to [email protected], subject line "Complaint". Postal correspondence is accepted at 44 Market Street, Sydney NSW 2000, Australia. Support operates Monday to Friday, 9:00–17:30 AEST (excluding public holidays), and the Client Support & Compliance department can be reached by email at any hour, with responses typically usually under one business hour.