Not upheld: Account administration errors complaint against The Ancient Order of Foresters Friendly Society Limited

Decision detail

Summary

Mrs M complained about poor customer service from Foresters when attempting to change her name on a guaranteed saving plan. Foresters rejected two sets of certified documents before accepting a third set, causing Mrs M inconvenience. Unhappy with the service, Mrs M chose to surrender the plan, incurring approximately £500 in fees. Foresters offered £20 gift vouchers and an apology. The ombudsman found that while Foresters erred in rejecting the second set of documents, the compensation offered was fair for the inconvenience caused. The ombudsman did not hold Foresters responsible for the surrender loss, as they had provided Mrs M with sufficient information about alternative options that would not result in financial loss.

The Ombudsman's reasoning

The ombudsman agreed that Foresters erred in rejecting the second set of documents and should not have required a third set. However, the inconvenience caused (requiring an extra trip to have documents certified) was not accompanied by direct financial cost and was adequately compensated by the £20 vouchers and apology. Regarding the surrender loss, Foresters provided Mrs M with clear information about the options available, including alternatives that would not result in financial loss (such as making the plan paid up). Since Mrs M made an informed choice to surrender despite having other options, Foresters was not responsible for the resulting financial loss.

How this compares

Source

Read the original decision on the Financial Ombudsman Service website