Complaint advice

Uncertain

A couple of months ago I was very upset at having my time wasted by a High St bank and the attitude shown by their staff. I sent a letter of complaint by email to their customer relations dept. I felt that at the very least a full letter of apology was called for and probably a gesture of compensation.

After two weeks I had received no reply so I chased (again by email) this time asking for a read receipt. I got this, followed by a breif reply saying that they had asked the branch manager to respond and were "dissapointed" that he had not done so. CR said they would ask him again.

I have still had no reply and two months will be up later this week. I've sent a further email to CR saying that I will complain to FOS if I don't get a satisfactory response by then.

Am I right it thinking the FOS will be obliged to take this on if there is no response by then and this will cost the bank a fee? Is the failure to provide a response to my complaint in itself a breach of the banking code?

YorkshireBoy

Uncertain wrote: »

A couple of months ago I was very upset at having my time wasted by a High St bank and the attitude shown by their staff. I sent a letter of complaint by email to their customer relations dept. I felt that at the very least a full letter of apology was called for and probably a gesture of compensation.

'Compensation' is generally only given for...

1. Financial loss

2. Distress and inconvenience (usually, but not always, accompanied by financial loss)

'Goodwill', on the other hand, is given to appease the customer and restore some goodwill in return, ie they hope you won't take your business elsewhere.

So, are you asking for/expecting compensation or goodwill?

I have still had no reply and two months will be up later this week. I've sent a further email to CR saying that I will complain to FOS if I don't get a satisfactory response by then.

Why? You've made your complaint and it's now been acknowleged. Just let it run it's course and then go to the FOS.

Am I right it thinking the FOS will be obliged to take this on if there is no response by then and this will cost the bank a fee?

The FOS 'gatekeepers' will decide whether to pass on your complaint for further investigation/adjudication. A £450 case fee may, or may not, be charged to the organisation.

Is the failure to provide a response to my complaint in itself a breach of the banking code?

Not sure. Why not look it up?...

www.bankingcode.co.uk

Check out the case studies and other information on the FOS site to see if you might have a 'case'...

http://www.fos.org.uk/

Uncertain

YorkshireBoy wrote: »

'Compensation' is generally only given for...

1. Financial loss

2. Distress and inconvenience (usually, but not always, accompanied by financial loss)

'Goodwill', on the other hand, is given to appease the customer and restore some goodwill in return, ie they hope you won't take your business elsewhere.

I probably mean goodwill i.e. they have lost mine!

So, are you asking for/expecting compensation or goodwill?

Why? You've made your complaint and it's now been acknowleged. Just let it run it's course and then go to the FOS.

They have had almost six weeks since the acknowledgement - how long should I be expected to wait?

The FOS 'gatekeepers' will decide whether to pass on your complaint for further investigation/adjudication. A £450 case fee may, or may not, be charged to the organisation.Not sure. Why not look it up?...

www.bankingcode.co.uk

Check out the case studies and other information on the FOS site to see if you might have a 'case'...

http://www.fos.org.uk/

Thanks for your reply

YorkshireBoy

8 weeks, assuming you made it clear you were making a formal complaint. The timescales and procedures will be on the bank's website, and the entire process is described on the FOS website.

Uncertain

YorkshireBoy wrote: »

8 weeks, assuming you made it clear you were making a formal complaint. The timescales and procedures will be on the bank's website, and the entire process is described on the FOS website.

Presumably eight weeks from my formal complain, not from when they bothered to reply to my chaser?

dunstonh

Not all complaints are required to be treated as FOS level complaints. A complaint against a member of staff's attitude would not be considered an FOS level complaint unless the actions of that staff member caused you to suffer some degree of financial loss.

YorkshireBoy

Uncertain wrote: »

Presumably eight weeks from my formal complain, not from when they bothered to reply to my chaser?

As I said above...

"The timescales and procedures will be on the bank's website, and the entire process is described on the FOS website."