Making a complaint

Our aim is always to provide our customers with a first-class service. However, we are aware that, occasionally, it is possible that we may fail to meet your expectations. If for any reason we have not met your expectations, please let us know as soon as possible, by calling our main office telephone 01494 450011, emailing complaints@partnersand.com, or write to our Complaints Officer:  Charles Bettinson, MRIB House, Amersham Hill, High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire HP13 6NU.

This document sets out our complaints procedure and has been designed to meet the requirements and guidance of our regulator, the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA). It’s available via our website and we will provide a copy on request and when acknowledging a complaint.

The Nature of a Complaint

We regard a “complaint” as any expression of dissatisfaction, whether justified or not, about the way we have carried out our functions.

Any complaint, whether made in writing or verbally, is immediately referred to our Complaints Team. We record any complaint we receive, and our Complaints Team is responsible for ensuring that we thoroughly investigate all complaints.

How we handle your complaint

Your complaint will be investigated by a Complaints handler within the business who has sufficient competence and who has not been involved in the matter which is the subject of the complaint.

If a complaint is made against the individual who usually deals with complaints, then another member of the team will conduct the investigation.

If the complaint is about another party, such as an insurer with whom we have placed business, we will refer details of the complaint to the third party. We will advise you of this in writing, giving you the contact details for the other firm.

The Complaints Team will aim to provide a final response to you as soon as is practicable and keep you reasonably informed as to progress.

As soon as we receive your complaint

We will respond to your complaint as quickly as possible and, within five business days at the latest, and provide you  with a copy of this procedure if you have not already received one.

If the complaint can be resolved to your satisfaction within three business days, our acknowledgement letter will also outline the result of our investigation, and a summary of the resolution of the complaint.

Final Response

On completion of the investigation the Complaints Team will write to you notifying you of the outcome of the investigation, explaining the reasons why they have reached their conclusion and the nature and terms of any settlement (if applicable). If redress is appropriate the investigator will show how this has been calculated and how it is fair and appropriate to your complaint in accordance with guidance issued by the Financial Conduct Authority.

At the same time, if you are eligible, you will be provided with a link to the Financial Ombudsman Service’s explanatory leaflet. This will enable you to refer the matter to the Ombudsman should you be dissatisfied with the decision.

If we cannot resolve the complaint within eight weeks

Some complaints can be complex or require more information. If, therefore, it has not been possible to respond fully to you within eight weeks then you will be provided with an explanation of the position and advised when your complaint is likely to be resolved.

By the end of that eight-week period we very much hope that your complaint will have been resolved. If it has not been resolved by then we will let you know, confirming that if you are dissatisfied with the delay, you may refer your complaint to the Financial Ombudsman Service. You will be provided with a link to the Financial Ombudsman Service’s explanatory leaflet, which contains full details concerning time limits relating to referrals to the Ombudsman. .

Reporting to the Financial Ombudsman Service

You may be eligible to refer a complaint to the Service if you are:

  • a consumer (a person acting for purposes which are outside their trade, business, craft or profession)
  • a micro-enterprise (a business which employs less than 10 people and has a turnover or annual balance sheet of less than €2m)
  • a small business (with an annual turnover of below £6.5m, and fewer than 50 employees or with an annual balance sheet total of below £5 million
  • a charity which has an annual income of less than £6.5 million
  • a trustee of a trust which has a net asset value of less than £5 million

In addition to meeting one of the above criteria you must be or have been a customer of the firm and the complaint must arise out of matters relating to your custom.

We report twice a year to the Financial Conduct Authority on any complaints we receive and how we have dealt with them. This enables the Regulator to check that we have handled matters in accordance with its requirements.

The Financial Ombudsman Service contact details are:

Financial Ombudsman Service

Exchange Tower

London

E14 9SR

Website: https://www.financial-ombudsman.org.uk/

Email: complaint.info@financial-ombudsman.org.uk

Phone: 0800 023 4567 or 0300 1239123

We are covered by the Financial Services Compensation Scheme (FSCS) for our insurance mediation activities. You may be entitled to compensation from the scheme if we cannot meet our obligations. This depends on the type of business and the circumstances of the claim. Further information about compensation scheme arrangements is available from the FSCS on 0800 678 1100 (free phone) or 020 7741 4100 or at www.fscs.org.uk

Please be assured that we will make your complaint a priority – our culture is one of continuous improvement and feedback is part of the learning process.