Not upheld: Complaints handling failures complaint against Quilter Wealth Limited

Decision detail

Summary

Mr G complained that Quilter sent him a misleading letter regarding a Past Business Review of ongoing advice services from its appointed representative, which caused him anxiety and appeared to imply misconduct. He also complained that follow-up telephone conversations were unhelpful and damaging. Quilter apologized and offered £200 compensation, which Mr G rejected before referring the complaint to the FOS. The ombudsman found that Quilter was entitled to conduct the review and that the letter, while capable of clearer wording, was not misleading. Although the telephone conversations could have been handled more sensitively and contained some errors, these did not substantially impact Mr G. The ombudsman upheld Quilter's £200 offer as fair and reasonable compensation.

The Ombudsman's reasoning

The ombudsman found that Quilter was entitled to conduct the Past Business Review and send the letter as part of its regulatory obligations. While the letter could have been clearer and more reassuring, it was not misleading. The telephone conversations could have been handled more sensitively, and there were some errors including confusion about the AR relationship, an incorrect statement that the complaint was non-regulated, and a failure to send a promised letter promptly. However, these errors did not have substantial impact, and Quilter made several attempts to reassure Mr G that the letter was routine and had not affected his position. The £200 offer fairly reflects the distress and inconvenience caused.

How this compares

Source

Read the original decision on the Financial Ombudsman Service website