information for businesses covered by the ombudsman service
This section answers a number of frequently-asked questions (FAQs) about:
our funding
why consumers don't pay
why don't consumers have to pay to bring a complaint to the ombudsman?
One of the fundamental criteria for ombudsman schemes in the UK is that they provide their services free to consumers.
In parliament and in wider public consultation at the time the Financial Ombudsman Service was set up and when its remit was extended to cover consumer-credit disputes, it was agreed that free consumer access to an independent dispute-resolution service was essential, to underpin public confidence in financial services.
So it was decided that the businesses covered by the ombudsman service, and not consumers, should meet the costs of resolving disputes brought to the ombudsman.