Financial Ombudsman Service

Should you feel the need to complain about the services delivered by your car insurance partner, there are several important guidelines you need to be aware of before making any rash decisions.

The primary role of The Financial Ombudsman Service (FOS) is to investigate complaints about (most) financial products and services provided in or from the UK, including motor insurance. If you have a legitimate problem with a financial product or service, you should always complain first to the firm you think is responsible. In most cases, the firm will be able to put things right itself.

The FOS service is free to consumers. The organisation is not a regulator ("watchdog") or a trade body or a consumer champion. Their role is just to settle disputes, as an alternative to the courts. Legal representation is not necessary, and you are responsible for your own legal costs.

News by E-mail
If you would like to keep up-to-date with news from the Ombudsman Service you can register for free and receive their regular Newsletter for firms and consumer advisers. A good example of the type of information you can sign-up to receive is given below, extracted from the May/June 2004 Newsletter.

Insurance - keys left in cars: a continuing problem
Almost all Motor Policies include a clause that excludes cover for theft or attempted theft if the ignition keys were left in – or on – the vehicle. As this constitutes a major restriction on the scope of cover, insurers need to draw it to the attention of prospective customers, in accordance with the Association of British Insurers' Code of Practice for General Insurance Business. If an insurer cannot demonstrate that it did this, then we are likely to uphold the complaint. If you would like to read more about this story, please click the link in this paragraph.

Contact The FOS
Switchboard: 020 7964 1000
Fax: 020 7964 1001
Consumer Telephone Help line: 0845 080 1800
E-mail: complaint.info@financial-ombudsman.org.uk
Post: The Financial Ombudsman Service, South Quay Plaza, 183 Marsh Wall, London, E14 9SR.

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