Partially upheld: Service failures generally complaint against Vanquis Bank Limited

Decision detail

Summary

Mr D complained about VBL's handling of a dispute he raised regarding a £930 deposit for a digger he claimed not to have received. The complaint involved difficulties with VBL's verification process and a dispute about whether Mr D had requested the dispute be cancelled on 1 October 2025 or only on 7 October 2025. VBL failed to return a promised call but promptly cancelled the dispute when Mr D clearly requested it on 7 October 2025, and correctly re-applied the amount in line with standard banking practice. The ombudsman partially upheld the complaint, finding VBL's £30 compensation for failing to return the call was fair, but rejecting claims for additional compensation regarding the dispute cancellation delay.

The Ombudsman's reasoning

The ombudsman found that while there may have been a misunderstanding during the 1 October 2025 call, it was not unreasonable for VBL's advisor to focus on the complaint about the verification process, which was the primary focus of the call. Mr D spoke extremely fast and did not clearly articulate that he wanted to cancel the dispute itself. When Mr D did make his intention clear on 7 October 2025, VBL promptly cancelled the dispute within a week. The re-application of the amount was correct standard banking practice following dispute cancellation, and Mr D received the goods he paid for. VBL's failure to return the promised call was a service failing warranting the £30 compensation already offered.

How this compares

Source

Read the original decision on the Financial Ombudsman Service website