03 October 2012 6:43am

The Financial Ombudsman Service has thrown its weight behind recommendations made by the Energy and Water Ombudsman New South Wales aimed at raising consumer awareness of free ombudsman services.

EWON conducted research into consumers' use of credit repair agents in response to a rising number of complaints about credit default listings coming to the ombudsman via credit repair agents and solicitors who are offering credit repair services.

It found that most people (88 per cent) do not discover they have a default listing until they are seeking credit or a contract. This puts...