Not upheld: Card / payment disputes complaint against Triodos Bank UK Limited

Decision detail

Summary

Ms K complained that Triodos failed to credit an expected payment of £1,319 into her account while she was working overseas, with the funds not arriving until 14 February 2023, nearly two weeks after she first reported the issue. The delay caused Ms K significant distress, forcing her to borrow from family and friends and preventing her from continuing her overseas trip. Triodos accepted the mistake was due to an internal processing error and offered £550 compensation, but Ms K sought £5,000. The ombudsman found Triodos' £550 offer to be fair and reasonable redress for the service failure and did not uphold the complaint for additional compensation.

The Ombudsman's reasoning

The ombudsman acknowledged Ms K's frustration and upset but determined that the role of the ombudsman is not to punish the firm but to ensure it apologises, puts matters right, and pays proportionate redress. Since Triodos accepted its mistake, apologised, provided staff feedback, and offered £550 compensation, the ombudsman found this level of redress to be fair and reasonable. The ombudsman noted that while Ms K detailed various impacts including stress, worry, and embarrassment, the £550 offer was proportionate to the service failure.

How this compares

Source

Read the original decision on the Financial Ombudsman Service website