information for businesses covered by the ombudsman service
This section answers a number of frequently-asked questions (FAQs) about:
how we decide cases
how the ombudsman service reaches decisions
how can I be sure you take both sides of the story into account when reaching decisions?
if you disagree with the adjudicator's view
what can I do if I don't agree with an adjudicator's view?
hearings
why don't you have a hearing in every case? I thought this was necessary to comply with human rights law.
our knowledge and experience
how can I be sure the person who decides my case knows and understands financial services as well as I do?
complaint outcomes
how often do you find in favour of the business rather than the consumer?
judging advice given in the past
how can you judge a complaint made today about advice given in the past?
"fair and reasonable"
why does the ombudsman use "fair and reasonable" as the basis for deciding cases, rather than the strict legal approach?
consistency
how does the ombudsman ensure consistency between decisions?
adjudications as one-off decisions
can I rely on an adjudication as representing the official ombudsman approach?
"treating customers fairly"
how are ombudsman service decisions affected by the FSA's "treating customers fairly" programme?
principles-based regulation
will the FSA's move towards rules that are more principles-based and outcome-focused change the impact of ombudsman decisions?