The Financial Ombudsman Service received 112,845 consumer enquiries in Q3 2020 and 72,498 complaints, 28% of which (39% excluding PPI) were upheld. In the same period, there were 9,245 referrals to an ombudsman.
These figures were revealed in the latest set of complaints data published by the FOS on products and individual businesses.
The effects of Covid-19 continued to be a significant driver of contacts received from individuals and small business unable to resolve issues or complaints with service providers. Complaints about credit products were a big part of this, with unaffordable repayments the key issue. Meanwhile, complaints about PPI continued to fall.
Complaints about business protection insurance fell by a third in Q3 from the Q2 figure, as policyholder businesses and their insurers waited on the outcome of the FCA’s BI test case.
Highlights from the data include:
- Consumer enquiries down 5% on Q2, at 112,845
- New complaints up 5% on Q2, at 72,498
- Referrals to an ombudsman up 0.4% on Q2, at 9,245
- Uphold rate excluding PPI: 39%
- Uphold rate including PPI: 28%
- Highest uphold rate: home credit at 84%
- Most complained-about product: guarantor loans, with 10,321 complaints
- New complaints from SMEs down 25% on Q2 at 304.
You can download the full data and commentary from the FOS website.
To find out more, or for advice or assistance with any compliance-related matter, please contact a member of our expert team on 01925 767888, or email helpline@ukgigroup.com.