Not upheld: account suspension and refusal to reinstate; KYC process failure complaint against Amazon Payments UK Limited (APUK)

Decision detail

Summary

G complained that APUK suspended its Selling on Amazon account and refused to allow it to re-open after G failed to complete a Know Your Customer (KYC) verification process. G argued the process was unfair due to technical problems with APUK's website and an unreasonably short 30-day deadline. The ombudsman found that APUK, as a regulated Authorised Payment Institution, was entitled to conduct KYC reviews and ongoing monitoring as part of its legal and regulatory obligations. The ombudsman was satisfied APUK acted reasonably and fairly in deciding not to reinstate the account, and was not obliged to offer an account to G. The complaint was not upheld.

The Ombudsman's reasoning

Authorised Payment Institutions are strictly regulated and must conduct KYC reviews and ongoing monitoring to meet legal and regulatory obligations. APUK provided details of its reasons for concluding G had not met KYC requirements, which the ombudsman found satisfied that APUK acted reasonably and in line with both the agreement and its legal obligations. The ombudsman was satisfied it was fair for APUK to decide it no longer wanted to offer an account to G, noting APUK was not obliged to offer an account.

How this compares

Source

Read the original decision on the Financial Ombudsman Service website