Not upheld: Card / payment disputes complaint against Payment Assist Ltd
Financial Ombudsman decision DRN-5371522 of 2025-10-31T00:00:00+00:00. Card / payment disputes complaint against Payment Assist Ltd. Outcome: Not upheld.
Decision detail
| Reference | DRN-5371522 |
|---|---|
| Decision date | 2025-10-31T00:00:00+00:00 |
| Firm | Payment Assist Ltd |
| Product | Personal loan |
| Claim type | Card / payment disputes |
| Outcome | Not upheld |
| Remedy | No remedy ordered. The ombudsman noted that E offered a partial refund of £1,800 which Mrs O may wish to pursue, and that she is free to pursue the complaint through formal means such as the courts if she wishes. |
Summary
Mrs O complained that Payment Assist processed a fixed sum loan agreement for approximately £2,800 without her knowledge or consent in October 2022, allegedly to pay for a training course from provider E. She claimed she was misled into thinking she was signing an instalment plan, that key information was not communicated, and that her details were manipulated. Payment Assist maintained it had evidence Mrs O set up the agreement via email and provided information to proceed, and that she made payments for a couple of months. The ombudsman found on balance that Mrs O likely agreed to the credit agreement based on matching contact details, audit trail evidence, and payment history, and rejected her claims of manipulation or misrepresentation. The complaint was not upheld, and the ombudsman directed no further action from Payment Assist.
The Ombudsman's reasoning
The ombudsman applied the balance of probabilities standard, finding it more likely than not that Mrs O agreed to the credit agreement. The core contact details matched Mrs O's information, the audit trail showed her email address, and she made payments towards the agreement for a couple of months, which supported the conclusion she had agreed to it. The ombudsman rejected Mrs O's claims that the agreement or audit trail had been manipulated or signed by another party, noting the e-signature font difference was not sufficient to undermine Payment Assist's reliance on it. Regarding the alleged misrepresentation by E, the ombudsman found limited supporting evidence and noted that E had provided course details during the withdrawal period, giving Mrs O the opportunity to raise concerns. The ombudsman concluded that Mrs O likely changed her mind about the course or decided it was not good value for money after commencing it, which did not require Payment Assist to cancel the loan.
How this compares
| Group | Decisions | Uphold rate |
|---|---|---|
| Payment Assist Ltd, all decisions | 4 | 25% |
| Card / payment disputes, all decisions | 14,309 | 19% |
| Personal loan, all decisions | 23,643 | 29% |
Source
Read the original decision on the Financial Ombudsman Service website