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Financialservicesombudsman is an online company. Based on 34 reviews on TrustPlane, it has an average rating of 1.1 out of 5 stars. Last reviewed March 12, 2026.
The FSO are funded by the financial institutions they investigate, and it shows in their useless and extremely biased 'findings'. Compelling evidence of serious regulatory issues were sent re' an fx broker, and the FSO simply pandered to the weak points raised by the organisation, and ignored other evidence. The fx broker at least in part pays the investigator's salary. A total waste of time, and a disgrace.
Absolutely shocking service. No recognition of the failings of the financial institution, even if this may not have changed the decision. Clearly a front to let the banks get away with whatever they want, with the appearance of a fair resolution service.
I worked at the financial ombudsman service. Believe me when I say most reviews on here are accurate. I had once customer who said - it's a self serving organisation with no care for customers. It takes a while but finally you understand what they meant until it actually hurts. I am sorry to say that I have to agree with most negative reviews , feels like it's self serving and self protecting organisation with no care or protection protocols in place for it's customers, the aim and reason has failed. Despite the one rule where if customer self harms / harms others they will call emergency service on you, or police, there is nothing else. Someone awhile ago did raised valid questions of what is the point if there is no point
Do not use the Financial Ombudsman Service. There were marches from Royal Courts of Justice to Westminster - lots of rich people I spoke to, all with complaints about FO. I had filed a complaint it should have taken 90 days it took 17 months. The investigator Gavin Page, just dismissed my complaint about my bank, he did not take into account simple facts or actual hard evidence. Then, it went to Ombudsman Jay Hadfield. Jay Hadfield does not state their gender at all, anywhere. That’s red flag. J Hadfield never puts the date of the decisions on he/she/their decisions or the date the complaint was received. J Hadfield also dismissed plain facts, actual easy to understand evidence, case law or the bank’s failures, that were clear and obvious. The Financial Ombudsman upholds a few cases but most are rejected. J Hadfield was patronising and clearly biased in favour of the bank. A total waste of time and space. I will never use this service, ever again. The regulator, Dame Guy, will also, just fob you off. Do not use them, let the service close down, they are a total waste of energy for most people.
Don't waste your time - this is just cover for the banks et al to make it look as though you've got a legitimate route to complain. They will kill your complaint, mangle it into something else then tell you to do one if you don't like it. This organisation needs to be dismantled and a proper independent body put in place - one not funded by the banks themself. Don't even bother - they make it worse - not better.
Worst organisation in the country. For anyone who has had the misfortune to deal with them it is plain to see that they are working for the banks and will do their utmost to obstruct and delay your claim. If they are not trying to defend the banks they are non-responsive to the point of years of wasted waiting. They are there to simply give people a false sense of assurance. A complete decoy. It won't be long before this entity is investigated and exposed for what they are.
Absolutely the worst, don’t resolve anything.They’re on the side of the banks and insurance companies.And they had a review done on them and the review showed they inflated the number of successful claims that was upheld.Not fit for purpose and there worse than the banks and insurance companies because they profit from our financial losses.Despicable in every way.
This service is not fit for purpose. Close this rubbish service. Corrupt and inept.
One star really feels too good. 12 months they had my complaint. I chased them and the only response is....we don't have an update. Complete waste of my time. Upgrade the staff, train them and get some teeth so you can make a difference.
They were incredibly slow to reply. When they did reply, they sent emails that are clearly just a standard template with no consideration of the issues actually raised in the information that I sent to them. They seemed to be trying to make it as difficult as possible to notify a claim. I felt they were a complete waste of time. Fortunately, I was able to get full compensation for my claim by taking action through the Court, where I obtained a judgment in my favour and was able to enforce it. But the financial ombudsman was completely useless as far as I’m concerned
It's time a petition was started in regard to the FOS, I mean the jokes on us as whoever was the architect of this institute knew they would be a pointless waste of money that's y they give them the title Financial Ombudsman Service because they knew it was a joke being visited on the public as the acronym is FOS, & they certainly are Full Of Shitzues!!!So people are aware why I wrote this review the way I did; I raised a complaint about my insurance company, I waited nearly a year for a response from the FOS, I was then informed that they would have to ask the company for permission for them to be investigated for my complaint!!🙈🦧!!
If you are reading this review you will no doubt have had some experience with the Financial Services Ombudsman ("FSO.") No doubt you will also have been wearied by an existing complaint with a financial institution which is why you have ended up at the door of the regulator in the first place. If you have had a bad experience with them, take heart, you are not on your own. Having battled through the FSO's protracted procedures, by far the worst response I received was from the office of the FSO's Independent assessor, Dame Guy. They refused to even look at my complaint even though I had continued to escalate backed up with significant evidence. They also said they would not reply to any further correspondence after my very first letter to them. In summary the background to my complaint was that RBS had paid funds to the wrong individual following my late fathers death. This was extremely upsetting and even though the bank didn't follow their own procedures or indeed the law, the FSO couldn't have been less interested. In fact I was met with obfuscation, delays and stonewalling at every turn. I never actually received a final response, which is one of the reasons I escalated to the highest office at the FSO but was then advised I was out of time. Apparently I should have noticed I had NOT received a response a bit quicker. (Mmm.... like it's even possible to do that. ) Before I got to the office of the Independent Assessor the FSO case officer who was supposed be investigating my complaint did not seem equipped or have enough experience to deal with it. As a regulator, the FSO appears to be ill equipped and completely ineffective. They also appear to be completely missing the point that by the a consumer gets to them they will often be completely worn down and exhausted anyway. Far from protecting the rights of consumers, in my own experience, they couldn't have been less interested or less objective. They only consolation I have found in all of this is that reading other Trust Pilot reviews, I can see that mine is far from an isolated case. Thanks FSO. Way to go!
Very terrible organisation and a waste of public funds, failed to act on all my disputes file with them.Please don't waste your time reporting cases to the ombudsman!
Complete waste of time. This organisation is funded by banks so not impartial. They will find any excuse to let the bank win a complaint. The organisation isn’t fit for purpose and needs to be scrapped.
I was INVASIVELY questioned by Nationwide after they blocked my card, i complained to the ombudsmen and they found in Nationwides favour. The ombudsman omitted certain details, anyone hearing my phone call to Nationwide would find them unacceptable, Ombudsman heard this phone call, yet did not accept my complaint. Ombudsman is NOT FIT FOR PURPOSE. Would give them a nought if i could, they are in the corrupt hands of the banking industry. I have escalated my complaint to the Ombudsman? thought i already did?, it seems one of their investigators has refused my complaint, so it will go to the Ombudsman, the top person now.
Absolutely useless just what most others have said on here, the property ombudsman is paid for by estate agents so no surprise that they rule in their favour and the financial ombudsman is clearly just the same paid for by financial businesses, no doubt they will side with these businesses regardless of the nature of complaint and the reams of evidence, needs to be totally redone and become unbiased.
Completely useless. Do not respond to communications. When you phone they have no idea what is going on and ask you for stuff they have had for ages. Just put you off in the hope that you will go away. Not fit for purpose, a waste of time, effort and money.They should be shut down as tgey do not seem to be responsible to anyone.
Like many other reviews here, the experience I had of using the Ombudsman was an absolute waste of time and almost 6 months. The particular person I dealt with would disappear for weeks on end, but gave me a time limit to answer him, which is ironic, especially as I had to phone the main number to try to get a response after waiting 6+weeks for a response from him.Would recommend you save your time and effort and don't bother using the Ombudsman, as many others said already, they'll recommend you take the banks first offered response, which if I'd done on day one I would have saved myself 6 months of emails.
My recent case with the financial ombudsman makes me wonder if they are really impartial...their investigation was fully in favour of the insurance company and additionally accusing my vet of shortcomings! It makes me wonder if they may be paid by the big companies, especially that my first investigator was replaced by another one towards the end of the investigation. None of my points were taken to the consideration and it was concerning that my vet was accused rather than the insurance company in the end. There was not even hint of hesitation in the review that the insurance company may have contributed in any way to the case.
To use this service against any organisation is a waste of life and time. They take forever to answer and will always favour the case with the insurance company as they are paid by them. My advice try and settle directly with the company you are complaining about and don’t bother using the financial ombudsman, YOU WILL ALWAYS LOSE.
According to TrustPlane, Financialservicesombudsman has a 1.1/5 rating based on 34 verified reviews as of April 2026. Source: trustplane.app/company/financialservicesombudsman-com
