Ombudsman results- in relation to PPI-good or bad?

twinkle75

I will not go into my personal issues with the bank in question as i find people, with the best will in the world, start going of on tangents.

What I would like to know is how people have got on when complaining to the ombudsman in thecases of complaints about PPi.

Good or bad, letsknow your stories so we can all have a better idea of wether this is a worthy route or if we should all just go straight to the courts.

Mutton_Geoff

just go straight to the courts

I think you have no real option but to exhaust the banks internal complaints procedure, then the ombudsman before going to court. In a small claims court, I think the judge will want to see that you have tried all the usual avenues.

In my experience with the OEA (Ombudsman for Estate Agents), they were next to useless in two separate clear cut cases I had against agents and found in their favour. The first I took to court and the agent turned up with a legal team and I lost, the second I didn't even bother going to court as I now rate estate agents as the lowest form of life in the UK and couldn't be bothered with the risk that another would worm and lie their way in front of a judge.

Nowadays I pay much closer attention to small print and vote with my feet if a company doesn't provide me with the best service.

Astaroth

The answer people will give are going to be exactly the same as any other topic for complaint to an ombudsman - if the ombudsman ruled in their favour then they will think it was great and if the ombudsman ruled against them then they will say that it isnt independant, only protects insurers, is a waste of time etc.

Of cause a lot also depends on the details of the case itself - many people who go to the ombudsman have no case at all but wont accept that the insurer is correct (in the brand I currently work for we had 22 complaints to the ombudsman last year and in all 22 of them (including the one about our hold music) the ombudsman ruled in our favour - personally I believe it is because we do treat our customers fairly and have a good internal complaints system but I am sure again that others will say it is otherwise).

I do not see why you would want to go "straight to court" given that there is always the potential of court action costing you thousands of pounds if the other side defended and argued the case into a higher track. If you have exhausted the internal complaints proceedure then go to the FOS if you still believe you are in the right and if the FOS rule against you and you think that they are wrong too then go to court