about us

key facts

It’s our job to settle individual complaints between consumers and businesses providing financial services.
We were set up by parliament to do this – as independent experts – and our service is free to consumers.
We can look at complaints about a wide range of financial matters – from insurance and mortgages to investments and credit. Each year we deal with almost a million enquiries and settle over 150,000 disputes.
We’re completely independent and impartial. This means that when we decide a complaint, we look carefully at both sides of the story and weigh up all the facts.
If we decide a business has treated the consumer fairly, we will explain why. But if we decide the business has acted wrongly – and the consumer has lost out as a result – we can order matters to be put right.
We can resolve many disputes informally and we settle a third of cases within three months. But some cases are more complex and take more time. We aim to settle most disputes within six to nine months.
Consumers don’t have to accept any decision we make. They are always free to go to court instead. But if they do accept an ombudsman's decision, it is binding both on them and on the business.
We don't write the rules for businesses – or fine them if rules are broken. That is the job of the regulator.