Making a complaint
We want you to have the best experience possible with us and strive to ensure that our students get the very best support throughout their learning journey. However, if you need to make a complaint about any aspect of the service you’ve received, we’re all ears. We’ve made our complaints process as transparent as possible, so if you need to raise any issues, you can do so as efficiently as possible.
Complaints Manager contact details
Name: Emma Beard
Address: The Learning People, 2nd Floor, The Agora, Ellen Street, Hove, BN3 3LN
Email: [email protected]
Our procedures
Any complaint, verbal or written, will be referred to our Complaints Manager at the earliest opportunity or to a member of the senior management if the complaints manager is unavailable. We will also:
- Acknowledge the complaint in writing promptly
- Give details in our acknowledgment letter of the Financial Ombudsman Service
- Make contact to seek clarification on any points where necessary
- Fully investigate the complaint
- Keep you informed of our progress
- Discuss with you our findings and proposed response
If we are unable to respond immediately, we will let you know, and keep you updated on the progress of your complaint. We will let you have our final response as soon as possible and not later than eight weeks.
We will be the first point of contact if you have any complaints. However, you can also refer your complaints to the Financial Ombudsman Service if:
- You have already received our final response. The complaint must be referred to the Financial Ombudsman Service no later than 6 months after the date on which we sent you the final response; or
- Eight weeks have elapsed since we received your complaint. However, the complaint will not be considered by the Financial Ombudsman Service if it is referred more than 6 years after the event complained of or more than 3 years from the date on which you should have reasonably become aware that you had cause for complaint.
Advisor or provider
There are instances where a student may be dissatisfied with the service received by the product provider, rather than the adviser. In these instances, we will need to establish whether or not your complaint relates to the advice given, the adviser service, or the service or performance of the product provider. If unclear, this must not delay the investigation, and we will proceed with our own investigation. The Complaints Manager will review this matter and take the complaint to the provider if appropriate and with your agreement.
Eligible Complainants
It is the firm’s policy to treat all complainants the same. However, eligible complainants are legally defined and have additional legal rights that we must acknowledge and adhere to.
Eligible complainants are those who have a potential claim against a firm based whereby it believes he/she has suffered a financial loss due to poor advice or service that are:
- Private Individuals
- Companies within the EU definition of a microenterprise
- Charities with an income of under £1,000,000
- Trustees of a trust with assets of under £1,000,000
- Professional clients and eligible counterparties where the person is an individual acting for purposes outside his trade, business, craft or profession
The Financial Conduct Authority complaints rules apply to complaints:
- Made by or on behalf of an eligible complainant;
- Relating to regulated activity;
- Involving an allegation that the complainant has suffered, or may suffer, financial loss, material distress or material inconvenience;
- Not resolved by close of business on the day following receipt;
- Referred directly to the Ombudsman Service where the complainant and the firm have both consented to the FOS investigation.
Final response
The final response will clearly set out the firm’s decision and the reasons for it. If any compensation is offered, a clear method of calculation will be shown. We must include details of the Financial Ombudsman Service in the final response if dealing with an eligible complainant and a regulated activity, we will:
Explain that the complainant must refer the matter to the Ombudsman within six months of the date of this letter, or the right to use this service is lost.
Analysis
The firm will undertake a root cause analysis in case of any complaint and record the appropriate action taken.
Closing a complaint
Where the firm has sent a final response; or where you have indicated in writing acceptance of the firm’s earlier response to confirm that you are satisfied with the findings of the investigations and any resolution.
We will consider the complaint closed once we have issued you our final response letter.
Financial Ombudsman service
If you do not find our final response acceptable, you may be able to refer this matter to the Financial Ombudsman Service. Full details regarding the Financial Ombudsman Service will be sent to you as part of our response to your complaint or at any other time if you ask us to do so.
We will cooperate fully with the Ombudsman in resolving any complaints made against us and agree to be bound by any awards made by the Ombudsman.
We undertake to promptly implement any award made in your favour by the Financial Ombudsman Service.
Contact
Address: The Financial Ombudsman Service, Exchange Tower, London E14 9SR. Monday to Friday – 08:00 to 20:00 and Saturday – 09:00 to 13:00.
Email: [email protected]
Website: http://www.financial-ombudsman.org.uk
Contacting the FOS by Telephone
0800 023 4567 – Calls to this number are generally free for people ringing from a “fixed line” phone – but charges may apply if you call from a mobile phone.
0300 123 9123 – Calls to this number are charged at the same rate as 01 or 02 numbers on mobile phone tariffs.
These numbers may not be available from outside the UK – so please call the Financial Ombudsman from abroad on +44 20 7964 0500.
The Financial Ombudsman will be happy to phone you back if you’re worried about the cost of calling them.
Help and advice
You can receive free-of-charge help and advice about any debt issues you have:
The Money Advice Service has information about debt management and offers free advice. Go to: https://www.moneyadviceservice.org.uk/en or call 0800 138 7777
Step Change also offers debt advice. Go to https://www.stepchange.org/Howwecanhelpyou/Debtadvice.aspx or call 0800 138 1111