We've designed our complaints process so we can resolve your complaint quickly and fairly.
Step 1: You tell us what’s wrong
To let us know what’s wrong, you can use our online complaint form, send us an email or letter or give us a call.
Step 2: We ask your bank to resolve your complaint
Your bank must have the opportunity to sort out your complaint before we look into it. If this hasn’t happened, we will refer your complaint to your bank’s complaints team so it can respond.
Step 3: Your bank works with you to resolve your complaint
Your bank will get in touch with you to give its response to your complaint. This could include making a settlement offer. If you accept an offer as settlement of your complaint, we cannot consider your complaint.
Step 4: We provide advice to help you and your bank
Our early resolution service can help you and your bank work together to resolve your complaint. Where we can, we will provide advice, share information such as quick guides setting out our approach to various types of complaints, and case notes summarising the outcomes of previous similar complaints.
Step 5: You can ask us to formally consider your complaint
If you are not satisfied with your bank’s final response, or more than two months have passed since you made your complaint, you can ask us to consider the complaint and provide an independent assessment. However, you must contact us within three months of your bank advising you that it has given its final response, or we may be unable to consider your complaint.
We will assign one of our staff members to your case and decide whether your complaint is one we can deal with. For more information about this, see our page on what complaints we can and can’t consider.
If we can consider your complaint, we will gather information from you and your bank. Where possible, we will try to facilitate a resolution that is agreeable to both you and your bank. This could include negotiating a settlement or giving our view on a fair outcome.
If your complaint cannot be resolved by agreement, we will make a decision. This has two steps. First, we will tell you our preliminary view and give you and your bank the chance to comment or give us new information. After that, we will make our decision. If we decide your bank has done something wrong, we can recommend how the complaint should be resolved (see Compensation and other remedies).
It's up to you – not your bank – to accept or reject our decision. If you accept our decision, it is binding on your bank. Our decision is final and cannot be appealed. If you don't accept it, however, you can continue to pursue your complaint through other avenues.
For more information about this, see our page on how we consider disputes.