Not upheld: Account administration errors complaint against Artemis Fund Managers Limited

Decision detail

Summary

Mr N complained that Artemis acted unfairly following his son's death in June 2012 by refusing to release ISA funds without a small estates form certified by a solicitor, notary public, or commissioner of oaths. Mr N had submitted the form certified by a minister of the church and questioned whether certification costs would be reimbursed. The ombudsman found that Artemis' certification requirement was a legitimate exercise of commercial judgment and that Mr N was not prejudiced by the same employee handling both the initial and complaint responses. The complaint was not upheld.

The Ombudsman's reasoning

The ombudsman found that Artemis' requirement for the small estates form to be certified by a solicitor, notary public, or commissioner of oaths was a legitimate exercise of commercial judgement that the ombudsman should not interfere with. Regarding the complaint handling, the ombudsman was satisfied that Mr N was not prejudiced by the same employee carrying out both the initial assessment and the final response to his complaint, as the substance of the responses remained consistent and fair.

How this compares

Source

Read the original decision on the Financial Ombudsman Service website