information for businesses covered by the ombudsman service
This section answers a number of frequently-asked questions (FAQs) about:
our funding
charging the consumer if they lose
if the ombudsman service doesn't uphold a complaint, can my business charge the consumer for the costs incurred in defending the case?
No. Consumers have a statutory right to refer disputes to us, free of charge, if they are unhappy with the way a business has dealt with a complaint. A business cannot claim back these costs from the consumer – or suggest that it might do so.
If a business covered by the Financial Ombudsman Service threatens to penalise a consumer for exercising their right to refer a dispute to us, this could have regulatory consequences for the business.