Ignored? Send this Letter

If you have sent a Step 1 or 2 letter to your bank and have received no acknowledgement or meaningful response, you are entitled to send a formal letter of complaint. If the bank fails to respond to your complaint - and provide a meaningful response to your claim for a refund of unfair charges - then you are then legally entitled to lodge a formal complaint with the UK Financial Ombudsman.

The Ombudsman has legal powers, can award you compensation, can require the bank to respond, and is free to use.

Ignored? Send this Letter:
(doc) or (PDF) or (html)

If your bank does not respond after 5 working days, you may wish to lodge a formal complaint with the Financial Ombudsman. You can download the Ombudsman's complaint form here (you need to scroll down).

You can only complain to the Ombudsman if you first complain to the bank and have received no response or an unsatisfactory reply.

Remember your complaint is about the bank's failure to respond; and the fact this failure to communicate is a barrier to securing a refund of unfair penalty charges.