information for businesses covered by the ombudsman service
This section gives quick and easy access to the answers to the questions we're asked most frequently by businesses.
We have organised the information into a number of main topics. Just click on the topic you’re interested in from the list below.
before we get involved
- first-time complaint
- complaints-handling rules
- telling consumers about us
- your questions about the ombudsman
- "paying off" consumers
- time limits
- our consumer leaflet
- firms no longer in business
how we handle cases
- the rules
- process and procedures
- differences between us and the courts
- the time it takes
- keeping it confidential
- your customer relations
- industry insight
- false claims
- third party complaint-handlers
- complaints – not legal pleadings
- stakeholder products and basic advice
how we decide cases
- how the ombudsman service reaches decisions
- if you disagree with the adjudicator's view
- hearings
- our knowledge and experience
- complaint outcomes
- judging advice given in the past
- "fair and reasonable"
- consistency
- adjudications as one-off decisions
- "treating customers fairly"
- principles-based regulation
how we award redress
- basis of compensation
- distress and inconvenience
- fines and penalties
- interest rates on ombudsman awards
our rules & powers
- ombudsman powers
- the rules
- official documents underpinning the ombudsman service
- our senior staff
- our official status
- our relationship with the FSA and the OFT
- who we answer to
- our jurisdiction over former businesses
- final binding decisions
- appeals
- time-bars and the 15-year "long-stop"
handling payment protection insurance (PPI) complaints
handling consumer credit complaints
handling mortgage endowment complaints
our funding
- how we are funded
- calculating the levy
- when the case fee is payable
- free case fees
- paying if no complaints
- why consumers don't pay
- paying if a consumer loses
- charging the consumer if they lose
keeping in touch
- talking to businesses
- regular news updates
- statistics and feedback on complaints trends
- ombudsman approach
- guides to our process
- annual report, budget and corporate plan
- smaller businesses
support for businesses covered by the ombudsman
- complaints prevention
- training, conferences and roadshows
- discussing complaints informally
- news updates
- publications for businesses
- telling consumers about us
- our approach to cases