FOS backed iPad comp complaint advocates
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The Financial Ombudsman Service has come under fire for promoting National Complaints Day - an event during which consumers were offered the chance to win an iPad for submitting “the best complaint” on the day.
National Complaints Day took place on August 13 and was organised by ComplaintCommunity.com - a forum which allows users to post complaints about companies and allows firms to monitor complaints about them.
The website for the event, NationalComplaintsDay.com, displayed a banner which read: “iPad 64Gb prize for the best complaint on National Complaints Day 2010! Click on the links below and post your complaint for free!”
It displayed the FOS logo and a link to a form allowing consumers to submit their complaint to the company they have dealt with via ComplaintCommunity. com. The FOS promoted the day in the “news and events” section of its website. The FSA was also listed as a participating organisation but the regulator says the logo displayed is not its own and is asking Complaint Community.com to remove its name from the site.
Foot Anstey Solicitors associate Alan Hughes says: “The FOS consistently claim to be an independent arbiter and not a consumer champion but actions speak louder than words and its support for this campaign must be considered a step too far. By endorsing this campaign, it is actively encouraging complaints. It should take a long hard look at what it was set up for.”
PanaceaIFA chief executive Derek Bradley says: “The FOS has consistently denied it is a consumer champion but this finally lays to rest this myth. The FOS is meant to be independent, it is not an ambulance-chaser.”
An FOS spokesman says: “Before taking part, the FOS made it clear it would only participate if the focus of the event was on empowering both businesses and consumers to communicate better and resolve complaints early on, without the need for the ombudsman to get involved.”
A spokesman for ComplaintCommunity.com says: “The focus of the day was to give consumers advice and organisations the chance to improve complaint-handling processes and customer service. It was not and never has been an attempt to stimulate complaints. We are not a claims management firm. The FSA is listed as a participating organisation because they were going to send someone to take part but pulled out at the last minute.”
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Readers' comments (37)
PensionMan | 26 Aug 2010 8:58 am
Truely shocking.
What on earth were they thinking?
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Andy Munden | 26 Aug 2010 8:59 am
The lunatics ARE in charge of the asylum.
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Andy F | 26 Aug 2010 9:00 am
Lets have a worst bit of regualtion day and ask the FSA to sponsor it with a retrospective final salary pension scheme to the winner !!!
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Another Pension Man | 26 Aug 2010 9:08 am
What a very sad indictment of what our nation has become.
When the parasites (destroyers) have finally eaten up the gardeners (creators) will they then have to turn on each other to survive?
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Mattyboyblue | 26 Aug 2010 9:09 am
Andy, Good idea, but wouldnt the FSA fall foul of its own rules on conflicts of interest there somewhere???
Oh no..... thats right, a blind eye!
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Truly flabbergasted | 26 Aug 2010 9:09 am
Nice one Andy F. I am dismayed by this and do wonder where it's all leading.
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Bob riach | 26 Aug 2010 9:13 am
They are keeping themselves in a job
Next it will be a free Parker pen with each complaint ot £10 M&S voucher
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Fraser Brydon - IFA | 26 Aug 2010 9:16 am
Now we know who is on our side! This beggars beleif, and they say RDR is for the betterment of all...what a usless bunch of incompetents.
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Toddy | 26 Aug 2010 9:20 am
In the last few days there has been a call for the new complaints body to fall under the MOJ. I do not think the Law Society nor the MOJ would have something like this.
Why not set up a petition and get the AIFA to lobby the politicians to transfer FOS's repsonsibilities to be under the MOJ?
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Alan Lakey | 26 Aug 2010 9:22 am
The FOS has been around for 10 years and over this period the explanatory descriptives offered by adjudicators has moved from the balanced to the slanted.
Originally, complainants were told that the onus of proof was upon them. "The Ombudsman follows the general principle of law that ‘he who asserts must prove".
This was adjusted to the extent that adjudicators then stated, "We are forced to conclude that the explanations of both parties are just as likely".
The FOS is seen as a consumer champion and, despite their continuing cries of foul, their actions provide proof of this role.
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