Partially upheld: Complaints handling failures complaint against Market Harborough Building Society
Financial Ombudsman decision DRN-4545844 of 2024-02-02T00:00:00+00:00. Complaints handling failures complaint against Market Harborough Building Society. Outcome: Partially upheld.
Decision detail
| Reference | DRN-4545844 |
|---|---|
| Decision date | 2024-02-02T00:00:00+00:00 |
| Firm | Market Harborough Building Society |
| Product | Savings / ISA |
| Claim type | Complaints handling failures |
| Outcome | Partially upheld |
| Remedy | MHBS to pay Mr T £50 compensation for the inconvenience caused by the unnecessary delay in providing the call recording instead of the transcript when initially requested. |
Summary
Mr T complained that MHBS changed his Regular Saver account terms, experienced difficulties with MHBS's online service, and was dissatisfied with how MHBS handled his complaint and account closure. The ombudsman found MHBS acted fairly in changing the account terms with proper notice, resolved the online service error promptly, and processed the account closure reasonably. However, MHBS caused unnecessary inconvenience by sending a call transcript instead of the requested call recording. The complaint was partially upheld with £50 compensation ordered for the call recording delay.
The Ombudsman's reasoning
The ombudsman found that MHBS acted within its contractual rights to change account terms with proper notice. The online service error, while frustrating, was minor and quickly resolved. MHBS's final response letters adequately addressed Mr T's concerns. The only failing was MHBS's unnecessary delay in providing the call recording when Mr T specifically requested it rather than a transcript, causing minimal inconvenience. The account closure was processed reasonably given the COVID-19 lockdown timing and postal delays.
How this compares
| Group | Decisions | Uphold rate |
|---|---|---|
| Market Harborough Building Society, all decisions | 26 | 35% |
| Complaints handling failures, all decisions | 4,471 | 37% |
| Savings / ISA, all decisions | 7,689 | 22% |
Source
Read the original decision on the Financial Ombudsman Service website