At Finch Group our customers are at the heart of our business. We aim to treat our customers as fairly and consistently as we would wish to be treated ourselves. Our aim is always to provide our customers with a first-class service, however we are aware that we don’t always get everything right, occasionally, it is possible that we may fail to meet your expectations. If things do go wrong we’ll do our best to clear things up.
We take all complaints seriously, where a complaint arises we will, wherever possible, endeavour to resolve the matter as fairly and quickly as possible.
The information shown below provides an overview of how we deal with complaints, how long it may take, and who to get in touch with.
If you need to make a complaint, in the first instance, you should contact us. You can contact us in various ways as follows:
By telephone on 0118 969 8855;
By fax 0870 380 0501;
By email at complaints@finchinsurance.co.uk
In writing to:
Complaints Manager
Finch Group
53a Crockhamwell Road
Woodley
Reading
Berkshire RG5 3JP
- Once we have received your complaint we will try to resolve it within 3 working days. If we are unable to:
- Within 5 working days of receiving your complaint we will acknowledge your complaint promptly, to reassure you that we will be dealing with the issue as a matter of urgency, giving you the details of who will be handling the matter in our office, and details of the service of the Financial Ombudsman Service, where this applies.
- In the event that your complaint relates to activities or services provided by another party, we will advise you of this in writing giving the reasons for our decision, and ensure that your complaint is promptly forwarded to the appropriate party, in writing.
- Within 4 weeks we will aim to make a final response to you as soon as is practicable, and keep you reasonably informed as to progress. If we are unable to provide you with a final response we will explain why and when we expect to be able to provide it. We anticipate that we will be able to provide a substantive response to most complaints within eight weeks.
- Within 8 weeks from receipt of your complaint, we will issue you with our final response, or issue a response that gives the reasons for the delay and indicates when we will be able to provide a final response. If you are dissatisfied with our response, or the delay at this time, you will have a period of Six months in which you can refer the matter to the Financial Ombudsman Service, whose details are shown below.
When we provide our final response letter, we will endeavour to ensure that we have taken into consideration any financial losses, or material inconvenience you may have suffered. If we do not feel that your complaint is justified, we will advise you of the reasons for our decision and we will also advise how you may pursue the complaint if you remain dissatisfied.
If you are eligible you can make use of the Financial Ombudsman service in order to mediate your complaint if you are unhappy with our final response; their contact information is listed below.
The Financial Ombudsman Service
Exchange Tower
London E14 9SR
Website: www.financial-ombudsman.org.uk
Phone: 0800 023 4567 or 0300 123 9123
E-mail: complaint.info@financial-ombudsman.org.uk
The Financial Ombudsman Service offers a free, independent complaint resolution service.
You have the right to refer your complaint to the Financial Ombudsman Service, free of charge – but you must do so within six months of the date of the final response letter.
If you do not refer your complaint in time, the Ombudsman will not have our permission to consider your complaint and so will only be able to do so in very limited circumstances. For example, if the Ombudsman believes that the delay was as a result of exceptional circumstances.
Eligible Complainants:
Access to the FOS is available for complainants coming within one of the following categories at the time we receive their complaint:
- Consumers (private individuals acting for purposes which are wholly or mainly outside that individual’s trade, business, craft, or profession)
- Micro-enterprises which employ fewer than 10 persons and with a turnover or annual balance sheet total not exceeding €2 million;
- Small Businesses, which are not defined as micro-enterprises, which have an annual turnover of less than £6.5 million, a balance sheet total of less than £5 million, or employs less than 50 employees;
- Charities with an annual income of less than £6.5 million;
- Trusts with a net asset value of less than £5 million; and
- Individuals who act as personal guarantors for loans to business they are involved in.
For more information on the services provided by the FOS please use the following links.
