The NZ Banking system is so corrupt because the Banking Ombudsman complaint process is rigged

Best and worst banks revealed in Consumer NZ survey

The Co-operative Bank has topped Consumer NZ’s 2025 customer satisfaction survey, while ANZ ranked lowest among New Zealand’s major banks.

The Co-operative Bank earned a 77 per cent satisfaction score, placing it first among participating banks in the annual independent survey.

ANZ, New Zealand’s largest and most profitable bank by market share, scored just 57 per cent.

The average satisfaction rating across all banks was 64 per cent.

What has become apparent in the Suzie Samson investigation into her being debanked by Kiwibank is that the Banking Ombudsman complaint process is rigged

Suzie Dawson, is fighting KiwiBank from de-banking her because Banks have become a weapon against those the State actively seeks to disenfranchise.

It’s a fight for you, and it’s a fight for me.

Her latest blog to us on her fight against KiwiBank has highlighted an enormous conflict of interest with KiwiBank execs also being Banking Ombudsmen!

Steipo Tony Jurkovich – apparently that’s “Steve” – is in fact a fully consented Directorof “Banking Ombudsman Scheme Limited” the incorporated company of the Banking Ombudsman Scheme.

And why did I recognise him?

Because this is the Steve I’d seen on Kiwbank’s website:

How independent can an organisation be that has a Director who has a vested interest in a company being routinely investigated by it?

The irony is not lost on me that I’m complaining about Kiwibank to an Ombudsman directed by the CEO of Kiwibank and if I don’t like it, I can complain to a Chief Ombudsman who is an ex-Director of Kiwibank.

…KiwiBank are debanking her, and the organisation she turns to protect her from KiwiBank are staffed with Execs from KiwiBank.

It is a jaw dropping bombshell and highlights how corrupt this process is!

The Banking Ombudsman is where you go when you have a dispute against your bank.

While researching for Susie’s fight against KiwiBank, it slowly became apparent that the Banking Ombudsman was hopelessly compromised BECAUSE so many on the board were the Banks themselves!

• Kiwibank have the lowest complaints resolution rate of any major bank in New Zealand https://bankdashboard.bankomb.org.nz (click on “Complaints by bank”)
• there are actually 2 bank directors on the Bank Ombudsman Scheme’s board – Catherine McGrath of Westpac is also there and Westpac has the second lowest complaints resolution rate
• Begging the question – why are the two banks which have directors on the board the banks with the lowest resolution rates
• historically the bank directors have been able to veto board decisions because decisions require a 75% majority and 2 of the 5 directors (40%) were banking representatives: this is now changing https://www.thepost.co.nz/business/360663010/banks-lose-veto-power-banking-ombudsman-scheme

There must be scrutiny of what is going on here!

KiwiBank has debanked Susie, but she its still fighting and intends to launch a campaign shortly for other people who have been hurt by the banks.

You can’t live in the modern world without a Bank Account. And once one bank puts a Scarlet Letter on your chest, it can be close to impossible to get another one.

De-banking someone is an extreme event that removes a persons ability to participate in the world, and seeing as KiwiBank is a State owned Bank, they have a greater obligation to Suzie because she’s a citizen.

It reeks of a political hit job on dissidents and the Banking Ombudsman looks deeply compromised.

I had a similar experience occur against me when the Police breached my Civil Rights by illegally gaining my bank records because they believed I was the Dirty Politics hacker, RawShark!

I took them to the Human Rights Review Tribunal and the Police were forced to settle.

For activists prepared to speak truth to power there is always a price to pay, and if you land on a State Enemies list, you can pay that price in the most unique and damaging ways.

De-banking a Dissident Kiwi Tech Disrupter like Suzie is a means of strangling off activism and it weaponises a service like banking that should be accessible.

Who is the Ombudsman protecting? Customers or the Banks?

TDB will follow the case and help launch a campaign from Kiwis detailing their problems with Banks in NZ.

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