FSO is much more successful than headline figure of "only 10% upheld" suggests

[Gerry Canning]

I take the Dry Statistics on board.
Very hard to really give a reasoned judgment.

Giving up on 27% can be worrying or can be good.
eg. People do not do some basic checking before initiating a complaint.ie time wasters.
eg. People have been wronged but lose heart or get caught with things like 6 year rule.

Settled at 21% , settled on what grounds etc.

Upheld at 3% appears derisory but then if 97% of claims are just fishing expeditions 3% would be good.

As usual the Devil is in what the Stats mean.
As you state 5,000 for losing Tracker , means you win , but you lose money!

From experience, I maintain a healthy (mistrust) of Ombudsman.
I remain to be proven wrong

 

[Brendan Burgess]

On the attached, the Ombudsman gives 11 examples of cases settled before he gave a decision.

It's very hard to tell from this particular selection of cases.

It's quite possible that where the companies realise that they are going to lose a case, they settle it.

 

[twofor1]

So taking all these together

View attachment 407

Complainants gave up in 27% of cases. This is very worrying.

Hi Brendan,

We will never know for a fact, but I do not think 27% simply gave up.

Someone who goes through the complaints procedure with their provider, then brings their complaint to the FSO, and has that complaint accepted by the FSO, does not simply give up, they have done all the hard work at that stage.

Of course the odd one might but my guess is that many if not most of this 27% were settled satisfactorily for the complainants when the providers realised the FSO was involved, but the complainants didn’t bother notifying the FSO, these complaints then fall into the ‘’closed due to no further contact’’ category.

Here’s what the FSO says on this issue;

‘’*In some cases complaints are settled between the provider and the customer during the course of the investigation, however the FSOB will only note a case as settled where the Complainant confirms that this is the case. Although we prompt for responses from the Complainant, unless we hear to the contrary, then the case is ‘closed due to no further contact from Complainant’’


Section 4.4, page 31.
[broken link removed]

 

[Brendan Burgess]

Hi twofor1

They "prompt for responses" and get no responses. I imagine that the vast majority just give up.

The FSO could clarify it by classifying cases as "settled" where the provider claims to have settled them and the complainant makes no further contact.

If the provider does not claim it as settled, then it's fair to consider it as given up.

Brendan

 

[twofor1]

They "prompt for responses" and get no responses. I imagine that the vast majority just give up.

We have seen complacency time and time again on many issues, but it is usually in making a complaint, or the early stages thereof.

I find it hard to accept that one’s complaint could go as far as being accepted by the FSO, and then for the complainant to just give up.

In my opinion it is more likely that many of this 27% got a favourable result when the provider realised the FSO was involved and the complainant didn’t get round to letting the FSO know, even when prompted.

For many, if their problem is resolved, that’s it, end of, hectic lifestyles have other more pressing issues.

Haven’t we seen this phenomenon many time on AAM ?

 

[Brendan Burgess]

I suppose that there is really no way of knowing, unless we actually called to their doors and asked them.

But it seems to me that the FSO should be able to estimate the information
The provider writes to the FSO and says that the complaint is settled.
The FSO writes to the complainant and asks them to confirm this.
If the complainant does not reply, classify them as settled.

If the provider does not claim that it is settled, but nothing further is heard from the complainant, then they just gave up.

From memory, the FLAC report on the Ombudsman referred to this problem.

Brendan