Our Complaints Procedure
Step-by-step complaints procedure
If you’re not completely happy with our service we’d like to hear about it so we can do something to put it right.
We do everything we can to make sure our customers get the best products and service possible, however, sometimes we understand that we may not get things right. If this happens, please let us know.
We handle complaints about our products and services fairly and promptly. As a firm authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority for consumer credit activities, we also follow the FCA's Dispute Resolution: Complaints (DISP) rules when handling complaints relating to our regulated financial services activities, including credit broking.
Complaints solely concerning the quality, delivery or return of goods will not normally fall within the jurisdiction of the Financial Ombudsman Service. However, customers retain their statutory consumer rights, and we will investigate all complaints in accordance with our complaints procedure.
We want to:
- make it easy for you to tell us what went wrong;
- give your complaint the attention it deserves;
- resolve your complaint without delay; and
- Provide you with a fair and appropriate outcome to your complaint
How & where to complain
If you are not satisfied with any aspect of our service or products you can tell us in the following ways:
In writing
- write to us at the address below and address your letter to Head of Customer Experience
- House of French Bedroom, Unit 3, Bridge Road, Haywards Heath, RH16 1TX
By telephone
- call us on 01444 415 430 during our office hours and ask for the Customer Experience department.
By email
How long will it take?
We always aim to resolve complaints in a timely manner and to the satisfaction of all concerned. We endeavour to resolve complaints quickly, through thorough investigation. Please see timeframes below:
- Where a complaint relating to our regulated financial services activities is resolved by the close of the third business day following receipt, we will issue a written summary resolution communication confirming that the complaint has been resolved and explaining the complainant's right to refer the complaint to the Financial Ombudsman Service, where eligible.
- For complaints relating to our regulated financial services activities that cannot be resolved by the close of the third business day following receipt, we will promptly acknowledge the complaint in writing, confirm that we are investigating it, explain when we expect to provide a response and provide a copy of our complaints procedure. We will keep complainants informed of progress throughout the investigation.
- We will advise you in each communication when you can expect to hear from us next.
- If after 4 weeks we are still not in a position to resolve a complaint, we will issue the complainant with a ‘4-week holding letter’ advising why we are not yet in a position to resolve the complaint. This is an additional service commitment, rather than an FCA-mandated deadline.
- For complaints relating to our regulated financial services activities, we will provide a written final response within eight weeks of receiving the complaint, or, if we are unable to provide a final response within that period, we will send a written explanation of the delay, indicate when we expect to provide our final response and explain the complainant's right to refer the complaint to the Financial Ombudsman Service. We will provide the Financial Ombudsman Service's website address and its standard explanatory leaflet, and include the required information about applicable referral time limits.
- All complaints received and resolved will be recorded so we are able to identify trends and make the necessary business changes to improve the services to our customers and prevent repeat occurrences.
- Where we have reasonable grounds to believe that another regulated firm, such as a finance provider, is solely or jointly responsible for a complaint relating to regulated financial services, we may promptly forward the complaint, or the relevant part of it, to that firm in writing. We will promptly inform the complainant in a written final response why the complaint, or part of it, has been forwarded and provide the other firm's contact details. Where we share responsibility for a complaint, we will continue to investigate and respond to those matters for which we remain responsible, in accordance with our regulatory obligations.
If we cannot resolve your complaint
If we are unable to resolve your complaint within 8 weeks:
- If your complaint relates to our regulated financial services activities and we are unable to issue a final response within eight weeks of receiving it, we will write to explain the reasons for the delay and indicate when we expect to provide our final response.
- We will also explain your right to refer the complaint to the Financial Ombudsman Service at that stage, without waiting for our investigation to conclude, and provide its website address and standard explanatory leaflet, together with the required information about applicable referral time limits.
- For complaints relating solely to our products or retail services, we will continue to investigate and keep you informed of progress until a resolution is reached.
The Financial Ombudsman Service
Our aim is to resolve all complaints fairly and promptly. If your complaint concerns our regulated financial services activities and you are eligible to refer it to the Financial Ombudsman Service (FOS), you may do so if you are dissatisfied with our final response or if eight weeks have passed since we received your complaint without us providing a final response.
If we issue a final response to an eligible complaint, you will normally have six months from the date of that response to refer your complaint to the Financial Ombudsman Service, provided our final response includes the required information about this deadline. Different time limits or exceptions may apply in certain circumstances.
The Financial Ombudsman Service is a free and independent service for resolving disputes between eligible complainants and financial services firms.
Further information and contact details are provided below and are available at www.financial-ombudsman.org.uk.
The Financial Ombudsman Service
Exchange Tower
London, E14 9SR
Telephone: 0800 023 4567
Email: [email protected]
Further information can be obtained from the Financial Ombudsman Service’s website at www.financial-ombudsman.org.uk