Effect of Complaints Handling by Consumer Federation of Kenya on Consumer Protection in Commercial Banks of Kenya

Abstract

Despite the growth of the financial services industry, the formulation of consumer protection legislation has not been done in many jurisdictions. This calls for the need for basic protections for the clients of financial services to bolster their confidence and encourage the uptake of new products, therefore, this study sought to find out the extent to which the complaints handling by the Consumer Federation of Kenya (COFEK) influences effective consumer protection in commercial banks. The presence of ignorant clients dependent on the trust they place in financial institutions has caused increased abuse of consumer trust. Imposition of excessive charges on customers’ accounts without formal advice or agreement and other insider abuses are becoming common amongst banks and their marketers. The study used the descriptive research design and the population of focus was 87 COFEK employees. The census method was used to reach the COFEK employees owing to their relative manageable numbers. The study used questionnaires as the tools for data collection. Data were analyzed by use of descriptive and inferential statistics. Statistical package for social sciences (SPSS) version 22 was used. Data was presented by the use of frequency tables, percentages, and related statistical abstracts. All the respondents affirmed that COFEK appreciated the responsibility of dispute arbitration and collaboration between COFEK and that commercial banks had assured synchrony in the marketing messages disseminated to the consumers. The analysis of the data showed that complaints handling had a significant coefficient (p-value = 0.001; β=0.408). This means that complaint handling is statistically significant in ensuring consumer protection. The study concluded that the service quality levels had improved occasioned by the capacity of COFEK to monitor consumer complaints.