Complaints

If something has gone wrong with the service we have given you, we want to hear about it. This page explains how to complain, what happens next, and what you can do if you are still unhappy at the end of it.

How to complain

You can complain by email, by telephone or by letter, using the contact details in the footer of this site. It helps if you tell us:

• your name and claim reference, if you have one;
• what happened and when;
• what you would like us to do about it.

You do not need to use any particular form of words, and you do not need to use a third party. Complaining costs you nothing, and using a representative will not improve the outcome.

What happens next

1. Within five business days we acknowledge your complaint in writing and tell you who is handling it.
2. We investigate. The person investigating will not be the person whose work you are complaining about.
3. Within eight weeks we send you either a final response, or an explanation of why we cannot yet give one and when you can expect it.

Most complaints are resolved well inside that period. Where we have got something wrong we will say so plainly, explain what we are doing about it, and where appropriate put it right.

If you are still unhappy

If you are dissatisfied with our final response, or if eight weeks pass without one, you can refer your complaint to the Financial Ombudsman Service. The Ombudsman is free, independent, and its decisions bind us if you accept them.

• Website: financial-ombudsman.org.uk
• Telephone: 0800 023 4567
• Post: Financial Ombudsman Service, Exchange Tower, London E14 9SR

You normally need to refer a complaint to the Ombudsman within six months of our final response, so do not let that period lapse while you decide.

Complaints about data protection

If your complaint concerns how we have handled your personal data and you are unhappy with our response, you can also complain to the Information Commissioner’s Office at ico.org.uk or on 0303 123 1113.

What we do with complaints

Every complaint is logged, categorised and reviewed by the compliance lead, and the themes are reported to management quarterly. Complaints are the most reliable information we get about where the service is failing, which is why we would rather you made one than quietly went elsewhere.