in this section

image: how to complain - without using a claims company

if you think you've been mis-sold PPI …

1. complain to the business that sold you the policy

2. if you're still not happy, refer your complaint to the ombudsman service

phone us and we'll help you with our complaint form

3. you don't need to use a claims company to complain

why pay someone else to do it for you – when you're just as likely to win by doing it yourself for free

online PPI resource

This section of our website includes online documents, reference materials and links – relating to our work on complaints involving payment protection insurance (PPI). This section may be of particular interest to businesses and consumer advisers.

our consumer factsheet on ...

payment protection insurance

our factsheet for consumers, looking at the issues that most frequently crop up in disputes about payment protection insurance (PPI)

standard documents for PPI complaints

designed to encourage the consistent handling of PPI complaints across the financial services industry and by claims-management companies

consumer questionnaire
for consumers bringing a PPI complaint (either to a business or to the ombudsman service)
business response form
to be completed by businesses when a complaint is referred to the ombudsman service
practical guide to the consumer questionnaire and business response form

case studies and ombudsman decisions

a range of case studies highlighting our approach when we assess complaints about the sale of PPI
a selection of ombudsman decisions on PPI complaints also showing our approach:
– Mr and Mrs B's case, Mr A's case and Mrs C's case involve single-premium PPI policies sold with secured and unsecured personal loans
– Mr D's case and Mr E's case involve PPI policies sold with a credit card
PPI case studies showing the involvement of claims-management companies (in issue 94 of ombudsman news)
more PPI case studies in issue 71 of ombudsman news

the ombudsman service's approach

an overview of the ombudsman's approach to some of the common issues raised in PPI complaints
an update on the ombudsman's approach to claims-management companies (as part of a speech by the chief ombudsman to the British Bankers Association)
a letter to claims-management companies and a letter to financial businesses clarifying general operational issues in relation to handling PPI complaints
a presentation to financial businesses and a presentation to claims-management companies about the general handling of payment protection insurance complaints
a letter to claims-management companies and a letter to financial businesses setting out how the ombudsman assesses disputes about whether or not PPI was sold

annual update on complaints to the ombudsman about PPI

statistics from our 2010/2011 annual review showing the number of PPI complaints we have received year on year, and an overview of the types of issues involved

legal challenge ("judicial review") by the British Bankers Association

In October 2010 the British Bankers Association (BBA), on behalf of a number of high-street banks, announced that it had launched a legal challenge – in the form of a judicial review – against the FSA and the ombudsman service on the approach to PPI complaints handling.
The judicial review took place at the High Court in London in January 2011, and judgment was handed down in April 2011 – rejecting the banks' challenge and endorsing the approach taken by the FSA and the ombudsman.
In May 2011 the BBA confirmed that it would not be appealing against the High Court ruling or continuing its legal challenge. And in June 2011 the FSA announced a timetable for Barclays, Lloyds Banking Group, RBS – and subsequently HSBC –to deal with PPI complaints promptly and fairly, in light of the legal ruling.

regulatory action by the FSA

following the ombudsman's formal referral to the Financial Services Authority (FSA) of concerns about the way PPI complaints were being handled by financial businesses:

the FSA confirmed (in August 2010) a package of measures – to ensure consumers are better treated when buying PPI or complaining about it
the FSA introduced (in May 2010) a temporary rule – to give people with recent PPI complaints more time to refer cases to the ombudsman service
the FSA confirmed that, during the legal challenge brought by the British Bankers Association, consumers could still complain about a PPI policy direct to the business involved
the FSA issued a reminder to firms that they were still expected to carry out a full initial review of all PPI complaints received – despite the legal challenge

FSA enforcement action

enforcement action taken by the FSA against firms for poor PPI selling-practices includes:

the £770,000 fine on Swinton Group plc for serious failings in their "advised" sales of single-premium PPI [FSA's Final Notice opens in PDF format]
the £721,000 fine incurred by Egg Banking plc (Egg) for failings in its phone-sales of credit-card PPI [FSA's Final Notice opens in PDF format]
the £7 million fine on Alliance & Leicester for serious failings in its phone-sales of PPI sold with personal loans [FSA's Final Notice opens in PDF format]

information for businesses on how we handle cases

frequently-asked questions (FAQs) on a range of topics – from the role of third party complaint-handlers to whether complaints should be treated as legal pleadings

This is part of our online technical resource which sets out our general approach to complaints about a wide range of financial products and issues. We would like your feedback on how helpful you found it. Please also use the feedback form below to tell us about anything you think we could clarify or explain better.