Upheld: service failures, reasonable adjustments, communication, account default complaint against Capital One (Europe) plc

Decision detail

Summary

Mr S complained about Capital One's service during financial difficulties, specifically regarding failure to respect his reasonable adjustment request not to receive post correspondence, redirecting phone calls to non-UK call centres, and insufficient notice before defaulting his account. Capital One defended its actions, stating it provided alternative communication methods and was entitled to default given sustained arrears. The ombudsman upheld the complaint in part, finding the default was reasonable under ICO guidance and that Capital One did communicate key information via email, but acknowledged the firm could have better supported Mr S's reasonable adjustments, awarding £200 compensation.

The Ombudsman's reasoning

The ombudsman found that Capital One complied with ICO guidance by registering the default when Mr S was six months in arrears. Although Capital One could have better accommodated Mr S's reasonable adjustments regarding phone call routing, the ombudsman was satisfied that Capital One communicated the key information about default risk through accessible formats (email). The ombudsman concluded that even with better service, the account would likely have defaulted given the sustained arrears and lack of payment response.

How this compares

Source

Read the original decision on the Financial Ombudsman Service website