We aim to provide you with a high-quality standard of service at all times. However, there may be occasions when you feel that this objective has not been achieved.​

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We are covered by the Financial Ombudsman Service (FOS). They offer a completely independent review of your complaint when we have been unable to resolve it ourselves, so if you're not happy with our final response, you can ask them to review your complaint for you.

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Although you can refer your complaint to the FOS at any time, they'll ask for our permission to investigate complaints where:

• You haven't complained to us first, to give us the chance to put things right.

• You have complained to us, but we haven’t issued our Final Response yet, and we’re still within our timescales.​

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You'll need to contact them within six months of the date of our summary resolution communication or final response letter.

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To contact the Financial Ombudsman Service:

• Call free on 0800 023 4567

• Visit the website and fill out the online form.

• Write to Exchange Tower, Harbor Exchange, London, E14 9SR.

• Email: complaint.info@financial-ombudsman.org.uk

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Please be aware that some complaints are not eligible for referral to the Financial Ombudsman Service (for example, inquiries relating to Buy to Let mortgages), and where this is the case, we will inform you when we send you our final response.

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We take all complaints seriously and will deal with your complaint in the manner outlined below:

• We will acknowledge your complaint promptly upon receipt, and we will also enclose a copy of these procedures.

• If you make an oral complaint, our written acknowledgment will set out our understanding of your complaint.

• If we have reasonable grounds to be satisfied that another firm may be solely or jointly responsible for the allegation(s) made, we will promptly forward the complaint or the relevant information.

• Part of it is the firm. We will write to you to confirm our actions and provide the contact details of the firm concerned.

• If your complaint cannot be resolved by the close of the next business day after receipt, we will ensure you are regularly kept informed of our progress on the investigation.

• We will endeavor to send you our Final Decision Letter addressing your concerns and providing our decision within 4 weeks, or to keep you informed of the progress of your complaint if it is not resolved before then.

• Where we are unable to provide you with our Final Decision Letter, we will send you written confirmation along with an explanation of why we have been unable to complete our investigations within this time scale. We will confirm when you can expect our next contact.

• If we are still unable to complete our investigations within 8 weeks of your complaint, we will send written confirmation, along with an explanation of why we have been unable to do so within this time frame. We will confirm when you can expect our next contact. At this stage, you will be entitled to refer your complaint to the Financial Ombudsman Service, which can be contacted as above. We will provide you with a copy of the Financial Ombudsman Service leaflet, ‘Your complaint and the ombudsman’.

• We will continue to investigate the complaint until we are in a position to send you our Final Decision Letter.

• If your complaint is upheld, we will provide you with fair compensation for any acts or omissions for which we are responsible.

• Once you have received our Final Decision Letter, if you are unhappy with our handling of your complaint, you can refer the matter to the Financial Ombudsman Service at the address provided above. A copy of the Financial Ombudsman Service leaflet ‘Your complaint and the ombudsman’ will be included with our Final Decision Letter.​

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We shall deem the matter closed when;

• Our investigation has been completed, and a Final Decision Letter has been sent to you, or

• You have indicated, in writing, acceptance of any earlier response, where appropriate.

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Complaints Relating to Close Brothers Premium Finance (“CBPF”)

Any complaint relating to a customer’s premium finance agreement or the services provided by Close Brothers Premium Finance (“CBPF”) will be promptly escalated to and referred to CBPF.

Where a member of staff receives an expression of dissatisfaction regarding premium finance, the matter will be referred immediately to management and/or the designated complaints handler for review.

 

Complaints relating to CBPF products or services will be forwarded to CBPF as soon as reasonably practicable and no later than two business days.