Financial Ombudsman how long does a case roughly take to complete

ladaowner55

Is there anyone with a crystal ball that can give me an example of how long a case should take start to finish.

I got a simple case of old (cleared) mortgages having wrong dates for some default payments. The bank promised to fix this but 5 month later and it appears that they never did.

So I need to log a call with the Financial Ombudsman but wondering how long the whole process will take.

thanks ladaowner

SonOf

The call will probably take you 15 minutes. However, the case itself can take anything from a few weeks to a few years.

The more complex the issue (especially on transactions/things that happened a long time ago) the longer it will take.

You may well find that going to the FOS is longer than the going back to the bank with extra info on your complaint.

ladaowner55

ok will do both

onthemend88

I have an open case with them at the moment (in relation to a car I purchased on HP which was faulty and had the odometer tampered with).

The complaint was raised with them in April 2019 and was allocated an adjudicator in August 2019.

The company did not agree with the adjudicators decision and the case was placed with an ombudsman for a final decision in November 2019 and has not yet been resolved.

So for me, it has been 9 months with the FOS but I know some cases (depending on the complexity) has taken years.

ladaowner55

ouch but as suspected, thought about a year.

Preciselyme

I have a case lodged with the FSO on behalf of a relative. It has taken 3 months for a decision and was only accelerated due to the relatives financial and mental circumstances. The decision upholds the insurance company in spite of evidence that would uphold the complaint in a court. Obviously in my opinion but I will put my money where my mouth is.
 Now it will go to the Ombudsman. I thought that was who I sent the complaint to but it was just an investigator and I am not sure of her investigative prowess. Free service but you get what you pay for. I am confident in winning an Online Money Claim but will cost me £450 fee but will get it back in costs. As I say - you get what you pay for and I think the Ombudsman Service (Financial and Motor) are a waste of time. If are sure of your case - take them to court. 

dunstonh

The decision upholds the insurance company in spite of evidence that would uphold the complaint in a court.
That would be unusual as the FOS is generally more considerate than the courts as it looks at things that the courts would not.

Now it will go to the Ombudsman. I thought that was who I sent the complaint to but it was just an investigator and I am not sure of her investigative prowess
When you refer a complaint to the FOS, it is looked at by an adjudicator.  The adjudicator makes the decision. Only if either side appeals will it then be referred to an ombudsman.

Free service but you get what you pay for.
it isn't free.   It is paid for through levies to every single regulated firm. In turn, the costs are passed onto consumers.

I am confident in winning an Online Money Claim but will cost me £450 fee but will get it back in costs. 
Do be aware that the judge will consider the response from the FOS as part of his review of evidence.   

As I say - you get what you pay for and I think the Ombudsman Service (Financial and Motor) are a waste of time. If are sure of your case - take them to court. 
That is what many people who lose say.    Many people are sure of their case until they lose in the courts. It is rarely as clean cut as believed.