How to make a consumer complaint

If you wish to make a complaint about your lender, you should raise this formally with them.  We are not able to intervene in individual disputes between member firms and their customers.

Since April 2014 FLA members have been regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), which sets out specific rules which firms must follow when dealing with complaints made by customers.  These rules allow firms a maximum period of 8 weeks to investigate a complaint and send the customer a “Final Response” letter.  This letter must explain whether or not the firm accepts the complaint and what action, if any, it intends to take. 

If you have referred a complaint to your lender and have received a Final Response letter, but remain dissatisfied, you may be able to refer your complaint to the Financial Ombudsman Service (FOS) – so long as it arose after 6 April 2007 when the FOS started providing Ombudsman services for consumer credit.

You can contact the Financial Ombudsman Service by calling one of their consumer helplines:

Monday to Friday – 8am to 8pm

Saturday – 9am to 1pm

  • 0800 023 4 567 calls to this number are normally free for people ringing from a “fixed line” phone – but charges may apply if you call from a mobile phone
  • 0300 123 9 123 calls to this number are charged at the same rate as 01 or 02 numbers on mobile phone tariffs

These numbers may not be available from outside the UK – so callers from abroad should use  +44 20 7964 0500.

For more information, log on to Financial Ombudsman

 

Reports of breaches of our Lending Code

Our members are required to comply with our Lending Code, which summarises how you can expect to be treated when applying for credit.  If you believe that one of our members has not complied with an aspect of the Code, you can send us details via email code@fla.org.uk. We are interested to hear about this, as we actively monitor members’ compliance and will take matters up with members internally, if appropriate. Please note, however, that we will not be able to comment or advise on individual complaints or disputes. We will also not be able to reply to you or to advise you of the outcome of our consideration of any reported breaches.

Please check the list of Full FLA Members to make sure your lender is one of our members, and therefore required to comply with our Lending Code.  If your lender’s name doesn’t appear on the list, it may be that they are using a different trading name.  Check your credit agreement to see if there is another name.

Become a member

What are the benefits of becoming an FLA Member?