Resolver: Escalating to Financial Ombudsman: process is seems unclear and clunky

loma153 · 18 February 2020 at 6:13PM

I've been using Resolver to deal with a lot of historical claims on behalf of my husband and myself. Santander and HSBC have been difficult to deal with and so now I've escalated a few claims that are dragging on with no real progress being made.
Obviously at the moment FOS are very busy and the process seems to be that once escalated via Resolver, all communications regarding that case go to FOS instead. When escalating, you can download a Resolver 'case file' of all the communications documentation and evidence that has been sent to the relevant bank etc and upload this along with your communication to FOS. So as I understand it, FOS have all the evidence and communications that have passed between the complainant and the PPI seller. Weeks pass between escalating to FOS and their first communication.

For 3 out of 4 cases referred, a few weeks letter, I had an email saying that I had to give permission for them to go ahead and investigate the case by agreeing to certain statements about the way that they would deal with the investigation, which I did. A case file number was given at the time and that's the number I've been using subsequently.

I duly completed this statement as above a few weeks ago and then for the same case, I've now received another email attaching a complaints form which I'm supposed to complete (it's not even possible to complete it on line) and it asks again for all the background to the complaint, digital copies of which have already been sent via Resolver when the case was escalated. The complaints form seems to indicate that it needs this in order to start a case file but I've already been allocated a case number.

There has been a large amount of documentation for each case I have referred - bank statements and copies of letters - which I imagine is going to be the same for most people once they have exhausted all avenues with the banks etc... I just can't understand why FOS think a bloody form which has to be manually completed and sending reams of supporting paperwork via the post, is appropriate for cases like this, particularly as most people will have been sending their complaints and documentation digitally in the first place.

Is anyone else finding the FOS referral a completely uphill process? It's been like wading through treacle with a few of the banks that I've been dealing with and it now seems like FOS is going to be exactly the same.

I guess my question at the end is--- do I REALLY have to re-invent the wheel again on the complaints form when I've already sent them everything they need? I'm thinking of just completing the basic personal information parts and stating 'all documentation regarding this case has already been sent to you digitally via the Resolver site, ref xyz and under your ref ABC.

Does anyone else have a similar experience when trying to start of a FOS escalation?

Thanks