Government’s the world over are never known for their efficiency so dealing with government sponsored organisations can be frustrating and a lengthy process. Some people are therefore deciding to bypass the Financial Ombudsman Service (FOS) with their financial complaints and instead directly sue the finance companies.

What Is The Financial Ombudsman Service

The FOS was set up by law to help settle individual disputes between businesses providing financial services and their customers. Complaints can cover a wide range of financial matters - from insurance and mortgages to savings and investments. The service is free to consumers but they must have initially complained to the finance company in question. Over the last few years there has been an explosion in complaints to the FOS and many consumers are starting to become concerned by how long an average complaint process is taking. They also feel rightly or wrongly that in many cases the complaint process is akin to a ‘show trial’ in that many of the decisions are predefined.

Take The Matter Directly To The Courts

Companies don’t like court action because it means they have to pay out for expensive solicitors. It’s therefore not unheard of for people to settle out of court before it’s cheaper than defending the case. Some forward thinking consumers are basically saying to hell with the FOS and so are suing the finance firms directly. Taking a company or an individual to Court is pretty easy these days and everything can be done online - HM Courts Website

Do You Have To Employ A Solicitor

The Court procedure is actually not as tricky as many make out, most of it is about following simple procedure . We know of one consumer who successfully defended himself over a travel insurance complaint by relying solely on the excellent book Small Claims Procedure: A Practical Guide by Judge Patricia Pearl which is available from Amazon. Note, that the Citizens Advice Bureau will also offer you free advice.