Daily Junction.mobi portalPersonal Finance · May 16, 2026 · Rachel Stone · 5 min
If a lender has treated you unfairly, you have a clear route to put it right. This guide explains how to complain effectively, the lender's eight-week deadline to respond, and how to escalate free of charge to the Financial Ombudsman Service.
If a lender has got something wrong — an error on your account, a charge you think is unfair, poor treatment when you asked for help — you are not stuck with it. The UK has a clear, free, two-stage system for putting financial complaints right: first the lender, then, if needed, an independent ombudsman. Knowing how it works, and the deadlines involved, makes you far more likely to get a fair outcome. This guide walks through both stages. This is general information, not financial or legal advice.
Almost every financial complaint must start with the lender itself. Authorised firms are required to have a proper complaints procedure, and giving them the chance to fix the problem is both sensible and a necessary step before you can escalate.
To complain effectively:
A calm, specific complaint tends to get a better result than an angry, vague one. Firms generally welcome the chance to resolve issues; our piece on customer feedback in financial services explains why good firms treat complaints as useful information. Lenders that handle complaints well usually set out their approach openly; UK lender Credicorp, for example, explains how it handles complaints, the kind of transparent process you should expect from any authorised firm.
A good complaint answers three questions for the lender: what happened, how it affected you, and what would put it right. The clearer you are on all three, the easier it is for them to resolve it quickly.
Once you complain, the clock starts. Under FCA rules, an authorised firm generally has up to eight weeks to send you a final response — its definitive answer to your complaint. Many resolve matters much faster.
A final response will usually either:
Either way, the response should tell you that if you remain unhappy, you can refer the complaint to the Financial Ombudsman Service, and it should include a leaflet or link about that right.
The eight weeks matters for two reasons. First, it gives the lender a fair, defined chance to resolve things. Second, it is a gateway: if the firm has not given you a final response within eight weeks, you gain the right to escalate even without one.
| Stage | What happens | Typical timeframe |
|---|---|---|
| You complain to the lender | Firm investigates | Starts the process |
| Lender's final response | Firm gives its decision | Up to 8 weeks |
| You escalate (if unhappy) | Refer to the Financial Ombudsman | Usually within 6 months of final response |
| Ombudsman decides | Independent review | Varies by case |
If you are unhappy with the lender's final response — or eight weeks pass with no final response — you can take your complaint to the Financial Ombudsman Service (FOS). This is an independent body set up to settle disputes between consumers and financial firms, and its service is free for consumers.
Key things to know:
To use FOS, you will typically provide details of your complaint, the lender's final response, and any supporting evidence — which is why keeping good records from the start matters so much. Our guide to getting help from your lender covers how to keep that paper trail.
People complain about lenders for many reasons. Common, legitimate grounds include:
If your complaint is about a data or privacy issue — for example, incorrect information being shared — you can also raise concerns with the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO). And if you suspect you have not been dealing with a genuine firm at all, that is a different problem: see our guide to checking a lender is legitimate.
You never have to navigate this alone or pay for the privilege:
Avoid paying a claims company to do something you can do yourself for free.
Complaining about a lender follows a clear path: complain to the firm first, in writing, with the facts and the outcome you want; give it up to eight weeks to send a final response; and if you are unhappy — or hear nothing in that time — escalate to the Financial Ombudsman Service, which is free and independent. Keep records at every stage, watch the six-month deadline to refer to the ombudsman, and lean on free help from Citizens Advice or MoneyHelper. The system exists precisely so that an individual borrower can hold a lender to account, without cost and without a lawyer.
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