It has been one year since the banking royal commission dragged the chief executives of the big four into the witness box during its final public hearings, but for many customers who have been ripped off, the pain is not a thing of the past.

Key points: More than 2 million bank customers have received compensation from the big four banks

More than 2 million bank customers have received compensation from the big four banks Other people who say they were the victims of bank misconduct say the royal commission has not helped their fight

Other people who say they were the victims of bank misconduct say the royal commission has not helped their fight New complaints authority AFCA will run a compensation scheme of last resort but it is only applicable to some cases

"It's ripped ten years out of my life and the toll has been enormous. It's just caused… it's on my mind 24/7, it's never ever, ever, left me," said John Rose, an entrepreneur scammed out of millions by his former business partner.

Mr Rose spoke to The Business from outside NAB's Melbourne headquarters, standing next to a truck he had hired, towing a billboard declaring "I got Nabbed", asking other bank victims to contact him.

"There's no question about it, it's still ongoing, it's still happening," he said.

"These big institutions are like an aircraft carrier, you can't turn them around … not in five minutes, anyway."

John Rose made his fortune by inventing the Stackhat bike helmet but said he unwittingly guaranteed a multi-million-dollar loan for his former business partner, Tim Rice.

Dragged to the Supreme Court to pay up, he beat the bank and won again when the bank appealed.

However, he is still owed millions and it took the stunt with the billboard to secure a meeting with NAB.

A year since the royal commission's final hearings, victims of bank misconduct are concerned little has changed and justice is further away than ever.

Meantime, the sector continues to be hit by scandals.

Banking industry's problems continue

Last week, Westpac lost its chair and chief executive, accused by regulator AUSTRAC of "indifference" and "inadequate oversight" of money laundering and terrorism financing laws.

Most horrifically, the bank failed to prevent customers, including a convicted child sex offender, sending money to pay for child exploitation, including the live-streaming of children being raped.

This latest scandal comes as the banks continue to pay the price for past misconduct.

Australia's big four banks — the Commonwealth Bank, Westpac, ANZ and NAB — have returned $1.5 billion in compensation to more than 2 million customers.

Another $5 billion in remediation is expected to flow soon, as the banks also spend hundreds of millions of dollars on new systems to fix old problems and prevent new ones.

Even ANZ's chief executive, Shayne Elliott, has been caught up in the so-called fees-for-no-service scandal.

Mr Elliott told the House of Representatives Economics Committee he had received $137 in repayments for money his own bank unlawfully took from his accounts.

Shayne Elliott: The million customers we've refunded already today, most of them just got a cheque in the mail and a nice letter and they didn't even realise. I've had three. I got the letter saying, 'Mr Elliott, we've overcharged—' Tim Wilson MP: Just to clarify, you're the CEO of this bank, and you got three letters from yourself saying 'I took three amounts of money'? Shayne Elliott: Yes. One was $30, one was $27 and one was $80. That's what's happening.

Farmer's five-year, 40,000km fight with NAB

Unsuccessful in having his case presented at the royal commission, farmer Bill Mott is still trying to get answers from NAB.

He claims he was mis-sold unsuitable products and fleeced by interest linked to the manipulated bank bill swap rate (BBSW).

Forced into default five years ago, his $22 million farming empire was sold for $7 million.

"Did the whole job on me with receivership and everything else, gutted our family, destroyed my marriage," Mr Mott said.

"Since [then] we've done forensic analysis of our accounts, they were gouging with interests and false charges. A lot of conduct, bad banking conduct.

"I've been negotiating with them personally, without a lawyer, for three years and all they do is just keep stonewalling me — I just can't get across the line."

Since he lost his farms, Mr Mott has had meetings with two NAB chief executives, the chief risk officer and a raft of senior bank figures.

From his home in Meandarra, Queensland, he's travelled more than 40,000 kilometres, much of it by car, visiting Brisbane, Sydney and Canberra twice each and making 11 trips to Melbourne.

Farmer Bill Mott did not have his case heard at the royal commission. ( ABC News: Daniel Ziffer )

Despite a handshake deal with then-chief executive Andrew Thorburn, who promised to investigate his case, the bank has dismissed Mr Mott's request for an independent mediator.

Earlier this year, a process where Jeff Kennett acted as an arbitrator for a group of people with long-running complaints against NAB fell over, with most leaving the process and claiming the former Victorian premier had not been furnished with appropriate documents and took a harsh approach.

Mr Mott said all that is left is for him to take the bank to court, an expensive and difficult process.

"When a farmer takes on the bank and the bank has lawyers and God-knows-what behind him, you're never going to get justice through that system," the Western Downs farmer said.

"Even if we won in court they still don't have to pay, you know, this is the way the system works."

In a statement, NAB's executive general manager of customer resolution and remediation Jocelyn Turner said the bank worked with customers experiencing financial hardship.

"If we need to go to mediation to help resolve an issue, we offer up to six different options of experienced, legally-qualified mediators, usually a retired judge," she said.

NAB has, along with the other big four banks, adopted a "model litigant" policy, which commits the bank to act "honestly, consistently and fairly" and not take advantage of any imbalance in power between parties.

"We acknowledge the long-standing customer issues involving Mr Rose and Mr Mott," Ms Turner said.

"These cases have been going on for a long time and we understand this has had significant impacts on their lives.

"We continue to engage with Mr Rose and Mr Mott."

Bank victims felt ignored by royal commission

Naomi Halpern understands Mr Mott's frustration.

Ms Halpern was one of hundreds of people funnelled into managed investment schemes (MIS) by four Melbourne-based financial advisers.

"We know that marriages have broken up, kids have been taken out of schools because their parents couldn't afford to pay fees any more, people have lost homes," she said.

"It's devastating."

Naomi Halpern says bank misconduct has had a devastating impact. ( ABC News: Daniel Ziffer )

The experience of misconduct victims like Ms Halpern helped propel the royal commission into being but many felt victims were ignored.

"The people who brought this whole issue into the public awareness and some of the people who most desperately need not only compensation but restitution… have been completely wiped off," she said.

A new body, the Australian Financial Complaints Authority (AFCA), has been flooded with interest by consumers now aware of bank wrong-doing.

AFCA will also run the royal commission's most notable win for victims, a compensation scheme of last resort.

However, the scheme only covers firms that have become insolvent, and restrictions on time and the size of disputes mean Mr Rose, Mr Mott and Ms Halpern would not qualify.

Most disputes are against our biggest banks, among the most profitable financial institutions in the world.

The royal commission may have prevented future problems and addressed industry-wide issues, but customers fighting old ones say it has changed nothing.