If you’re a small or medium-sized enterprise (SME) and you're unhappy with a product or service, follow these steps to make a complaint.
We don't make decisions on individual complaints, but the financial firms we regulate must have a procedure in place for resolving disputes with their customers.
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1
Contact the firm directly
If you have a complaint about a firm, you should contact the firm in the first instance to give them the opportunity to put the matter right.
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2
Contact the Financial Ombudsman Service
If you’re unhappy with the response you receive from the firm, the Financial Ombudsman Service[1] offers a free and independent service for settling disputes.
You can find out whether the Financial Ombudsman may be able to help with your complaint by answering a few questions on its online complaint checker[2].
It’s important you contact the Financial Ombudsman within 6 months of receiving a final response from the firm. If you miss this deadline, you will most likely lose the opportunity to have your complaint reviewed.
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3
Take the matter to court
If you don’t want to accept a decision by the Financial Ombudsman (or if you're not eligible), you may wish to consider taking your case to court.
You would usually start civil legal action in the county courts or High Court (in England, Wales and Northern Ireland), depending on the circumstances of the case. In Scotland, most small claims are started in the Sheriff Courts.
Financial Ombudsman Service
The Financial Ombudsman is a free, independent service that has the power to settle complaints between micro enterprises or small businesses and financial services providers.
A micro-enterprise:
- Employs fewer than 10 people; and
- Has annual turnover or a balance sheet total of less than £2 million.
Since 1 April 2019, the Financial Ombudsman has also been able to consider complaints made by small businesses.
A small business:
- Is not a micro-enterprise.
- Has annual turnover of less than £6.5 million; and
- Has a balance sheet total of less than £5 million or employs fewer than 50 people.
The the Financial Ombudsman can also help:
- Charities with an annual income of less than £6.5 million.
- Trusts with a net asset value of less than £5 million.
- Individuals who act as personal guarantors for loans to businesses they're involved in.
If you want to complain about the FCA, please use our form[3]. You can also contact us[4] by phone or email.