Complaints Process
There is no reason why anyone cannot take on a lender or financial institution when dealing with a dispute and there is a defined complaints process. When complaining direct to the bank or financial institution they should respond within 5 days, acknowledging your complaint. Then, after a further period of 4 weeks, they should confirm that the process is either continuing or provide some other suitable update.
After 8 weeks of receiving the complaint, the lender should forward to you a resolution letter or ‘letter of deadlock’ to which it is referred. In this ‘letter of deadlock’ the lender will detail their findings and state how they intend to address them, either in your favour, partly in your favour or stating there is no case to answer and declining your claim in its entirety.
If the complaint is either held up in part or declined in its entirety, you then have the option (within 6 months of a final response from the lender) to take the complaint to the Financial Ombudsman for adjudication. The Ombudsman can take a considerable period of time to review this. After adjudication, if you do not agree, or the financial institution does not agree, then a final decision is made by an Ombudsman and this is binding by all parties and cannot be challenged.
Other firms that have gone out of business since the product you are complaining about was mis-sold (if sold after 2005) can be looked at by the Financial Services Compensation Scheme. If found in your favour, they can award reimbursement of up to 90% of the claim being made.
There are many ways to mis-selling mortgage but unfortunately most people don’t realise that until it’s too late and several years down the line.
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Who we are
As a company, the Director, Martin Knipe, has been dealing with banking complaints and banking disputes on behalf of clients since the late 1990s, following his time in a main high street bank where he undertook various roles.
The variety of complaints that can, and have been dealt with, are wide-ranging. Even if the complaints fall under one banner, such as mis-sold investments, they will always be individually tailored to reflect the concerns and difficulties faced by the prospective client.
The banks and their regulators always like to make you believe that dealing with a complaint and all concerns that you have in relation to a financial product is straightforward and easy. This should be the case but invariably is not, particularly as there is a complaints process and contacting the firm can be off-putting and challenging for anyone.