information for businesses covered by the ombudsman service
This section answers a number of frequently-asked questions (FAQs) about:
how we decide cases
our knowledge and experience
how can I be sure the person who decides my case knows and understands financial services as well as I do?
The technical, academic and professional qualifications of our adjudicators and ombudsmen are as varied as the work we cover.
The backgrounds of our staff are similarly varied. We have accountants and lawyers working for us as well as former IFAs, insurance and mortgage brokers, bankers, trading standards officers and stockbrokers.
But what makes a good adjudicator or ombudsman is more than just letters after their name. It is the ability to stand back and listen to all sides of the story – to weigh up the arguments and arrive at decisions fairly and impartially. This is also the defining characteristic of judges and magistrates – who similarly don't need to list their qualifications to demonstrate their ability to do the job.