This w/e I am "debanked" (now resolved: 90 hours wait, no info. Complaint rejected. Now ombudsman.)

Andrea15

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82097873#Comment_82097873

Virgin, formerly Clydesdale.

born_again

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82097829#Comment_82097829

Financial Ombudsman Service (FOS) complaint timescales depend on the stage of the process. Businesses have 15 days (for fraud, scams, or payments) or 8 weeks (for most other financial complaints) to issue a final response.

If you go to FOS in the same vein as the title of the tread. Expect it to be thrown out.

No Debanking here. 🤣

Andrea15

I should have added that 5 working days was their timescale, not mine.

masonic

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82097899#Comment_82097899

Businesses can close a complaint and issue a final response at any time, enabling access to the FOS if the consumer remains unhappy. This is why it is contingent on all firms to do their best to resolve before closing the complaint.

If I received a notification from the business that my complaint had been closed, then I would take that as their final response. I probably wouldn't engage in further dialogue to clarify they definitely aren't considering the complaint any more, especially if communication had been poor throughout.

In this instance, it can wait until the return from holiday, by which time there should be a clear mandate to proceed.

born_again

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82097924#Comment_82097924

Yes, but OP is chasing after 5 days & no reply. So actually wasting complaints team time chasing, when they are still within FOS timescales for a reply.🤷‍♀️

Andrea15

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82098348#Comment_82098348

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82097915/#Comment_82097915

masonic

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82098348#Comment_82098348

The event occurred on 24th July and the card was blocked until the middle of 29th July. It appears the complaint was raised on the same day the card was unblocked. The complaint was acknowledged a few days later by Virgin Money, who promised a response within 5 working days. On 8th August Virgin Money duly responded, this response was described as: "an email saying that my complaint, after a thorough investigation of the call, had not been upheld".

It is notable that this does not meet its own obligation to "aim to resolve your complaint within 3 business days, following the day it’s received. If this is not possible, we’ll keep you informed until your complaint is resolved."

Today is 10th August, 12 calendar days after the complaint was first raised, but at this point the complaint has been closed according to the email. So it is unclear whether the FOS is available now or at the end of this week, but the FOS complaint has not yet been submitted.

If the email is as described, there may have been a regulatory breach in that Virgin Money failed to mention that the customer has the right to refer their complaint to the FOS in the next six months and/or failed to include a copy of the FOS leaflet and website address. But perhaps when the OP returns from holiday they'll find a letter with the outcome as set out in the email and with FOS details.

Section62

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82098410#Comment_82098410

So it is unclear whether the FOS is available now or at the end of this week, but the FOS complaint has not yet been submitted.

It may also take a complainant a couple of days to collect together information and complete their FOS submission, so it isn't unreasonable to enquire - without waiting until the FOS time limit has been reached - if a further response will be coming from the firm, or whether the last contact should be treated as a final response.

In the OP's case the promised timescale for a response was Virgin's own choice.

Rob5342

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82097665#Comment_82097665

Usually it's only the card that is blocked and you can still use the app to make bank transfers etc, so they evidently don't regard everything as compromised. There are also various security measures that are incorporated in apps, for example fingerprint or face Id, entering memorable information or your card pin, geolocation to check you are at your home address and recording a video of yourself reading the message the app gives you. I can't remember if it was BarclayCard or Egg but some time ago one of them would sometimes send me a text message about a transaction and asked me to reply saying whether it was me or not.

However they implement it, it should have been possible to sort it out within two minutes.

Andrea15

Short update:

"Laura" told me to get lost.

Slightly longer version:

On Tue I got an email from Laura saying that she was on holiday and would review my email and revert back before EOB. Having heard nothing, the following day about an hour before EOB I emailed back and shortly after I got a boilerplate email saying that the original decision still stands and if I am unhappy to go to the ombudsman.

I believe now is the right time to escalate the matter.