Can the Financial Ombudsman hear a complaint from a business?

I have recently had contact with a person who had a complaint against an Irish Financial Institution.
He borrowed money in his own name, but it was for his business and he was operating as a sole trader.
However, he went to make a complaint to the FSO, who said they could not deal with him because the loans were for his business as a sole trader.
What other avenues would be available to this guy?
Is there some organisation which could handle his complaint along the lines of the FSO or will he have to employ legal advisors on this?

Commercial said:

However, he went to make a complaint to the FSO, who said they could not deal with him because the loans were for his business as a sole trader.

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Tell your friend to disregard verbally asking questions to the FSO. Put the questions in writing and await in the reply he may receive. Saying all this the FSO might be doing him a favour as in case you were not aware, it is the Financial Providers who pay to keep the FSO office open. Hardly impartial in my opinion.

However, he went to make a complaint to the FSO, who said they could not deal with him because the loans were for his business as a sole trader.

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I don't think that this is correct.

From the FSO website

Guide for Complainants - SME's

In addition to the details outlined at [broken link removed], if the Complainant is an incorporated body i.e. a limited company, with an annual turnover of 3 million euro or less, the person complaining on its behalf will be asked to provide the name of the company and the annual turnover of the company for the financial year prior to which the complaint is made to the Financial Services Ombudsman.

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So how could they hear a complaint from a company but not from an individual?

From the [broken link removed]

The following classes of persons are prescribed by Council as consumers for the purposes of subsection (b) of the definition of “consumer’ in Section 57BA of the Central Bank Act 1942 (as amended by Section 16 of the Central Bank and Financial Services Authority Act of Ireland Act 2004).

1. A person or group of persons, but not an incorporated body with an annual turnover in excess of 3 million euro. For the avoidance of doubt a group of persons includes partnerships and other unincorporated bodies such as clubs, charities and trusts, not consisting entirely of bodies corporate, and
2. incorporated bodies having an annual turnover of 3 million euro or less in the financial year prior to year in which the complaint is made to the Ombudsman (provided that such body shall not be a member of a group of companies having a combined turnover greater than the said 3 million euro). Prescription of a maximum compensation amount for the purposes of Section 57CI(5) and Section 57CI(4)(d)

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