PPI: how to claim if you’ve been mis-soldIf your PPI complaint is rejected

Make sure you have alternative cover in place

If making a complaint about your PPI doesn’t work, you should take your complaint to the financial Ombudsman Service (FOS).

Some firms have tried to reject complaints on the basis that full information was sent to you and that you had 14 days to cancel the policy if you wished. Don’t be put off if your complaint is rejected on these grounds – you should have been given all the crucial information you needed to make an informed decision at or before the point of sale.

Take your complaint to the FOS for free

The Financial Ombudsman Service (FOS) is a free dispute resolution service, available to all consumers who have complaints about a financial services product or provider.

The service is completely independent and impartial. However, it’s worth noting that FOS is not a regulator or a trade body or a consumer champion. Its role is to settle disputes without taking sides.

You can’t take a complaint to FOS until you have given the firm or adviser the chance to deal with your complaint first. Ideally you should contact the firm or provider in writing.

What to expect

If you reach deadlock with a firm, or your complaint has been rejected, you have 6 months to take your complaint to the Ombudsman Service. The Service’s website gives full details of how to make a complaint.

Your complaint will first be heard by an adjudicator, who will collect together all the evidence on the case and make an assessment. If you don’t agree with the adjudicator’s assessment you have the right to ask for your case to be seen by an Ombudsman.

The Ombudsman’s decision is final, but if your complaint is rejected by FOS you still have the right to go to court if you wish.

If you bought your policy before January 2005

The Financial Ombudsman Service is able to deal with complaints about sales that happened before 14 January 2005 as long as the policy was sold by a high street bank or the firm was a member of the General Insurance Standards Council (GISC).

If the firm you dealt with wasn't a major bank or a GISC member, but was a member of the Finance & Leasing Association (FLA), then the FLA may have to deal with your complaint, rather than the Financial Ombudsman Service.

The firm you have complained to must tell you which body your complaint can be referred to in their rejection letter.

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