Not upheld: Debt collection practices complaint against Inclusive Finance Limited
Financial Ombudsman decision DRN-5987937 of 2026-02-13T00:00:00+00:00. Debt collection practices complaint against Inclusive Finance Limited. Outcome: Not upheld.
Decision detail
| Reference | DRN-5987937 |
|---|---|
| Decision date | 2026-02-13T00:00:00+00:00 |
| Firm | Inclusive Finance Limited |
| Product | Personal loan |
| Claim type | Debt collection practices |
| Outcome | Not upheld |
| Remedy | None. The complaint was not upheld. The ombudsman noted that Miss G may wish to contact Creditspring to discuss whether any revised payment arrangement or membership-fee refund might still be available. |
Summary
Miss G complained that Creditspring unfairly rejected her request to write off her outstanding loan balance of £252.36, citing financial hardship and vulnerability. Creditspring declined the write-off but offered a £168 membership fee refund as a goodwill gesture, reducing the balance to £84.36, and placed Miss G on a repayment plan with no additional charges. The ombudsman found no legal obligation for Creditspring to write off the debt and determined the firm's response was reasonable and aligned with FCA expectations for supporting consumers in financial difficulty. The complaint was not upheld.
The Ombudsman's reasoning
The ombudsman found no legal obligation for Creditspring to write off the debt. While acknowledging Miss G's vulnerable status and medical conditions, the ombudsman determined that vulnerability alone does not require debt write-off. The firm's placement of Miss G on a repayment plan with no additional charges aligned with FCA expectations for supporting consumers in financial difficulty. The £168 membership fee refund offered was considered fair and reasonable, even as a discretionary gesture of goodwill.
How this compares
| Group | Decisions | Uphold rate |
|---|---|---|
| Inclusive Finance Limited, all decisions | 52 | 32% |
| Debt collection practices, all decisions | 4,798 | 26% |
| Personal loan, all decisions | 22,070 | 30% |
Source
Read the original decision on the Financial Ombudsman Service website