Upheld: Service failures generally complaint against Market Harborough Building Society

Decision detail

Summary

Miss G, a hearing-impaired customer without a mobile phone or landline, opened a bond account with Market Harborough Building Society but could not access it because the firm required phone-based one-time passcodes for authentication. The account was closed after 7 days when Miss G could not deposit funds. Market Harborough Building Society cited strong customer authentication rules but failed to inform Miss G of alternative methods such as written withdrawal requests. The ombudsman upheld the complaint, finding the firm was not sufficiently clear about alternative account operation methods and should have made reasonable adjustments. Both parties agreed to £250 compensation, which the ombudsman awarded.

The Ombudsman's reasoning

The ombudsman found that Market Harborough Building Society was not as clear as it could have been about alternative ways to operate the account. While the firm cited SCA compliance requirements, the ombudsman determined that reasonable adjustments should have been offered. The firm failed to inform Miss G of alternative methods such as written requests for withdrawals, and the account closure resulted from this lack of clarity and accommodation. Both parties ultimately agreed that £250 compensation was fair and reasonable.

How this compares

Source

Read the original decision on the Financial Ombudsman Service website