Upheld: Poor service - failure to respond to transfer inquiries and delays in providing transfer documentation complaint against Julian Hodge Bank Limited trading as Hodge

Decision detail

Summary

Miss A complained about poor service from Hodge when transferring her ISA to another provider. Although Hodge completed the transfer on 20 October 2025 as scheduled and correctly dated the transfer history form, it failed to respond to the new provider's chasers, causing delays and requiring Miss A to make multiple calls for updates. The transfer history form was only re-sent on 18 November 2025, nearly a month after the initial posting. While no financial loss occurred due to correct backdating, the ombudsman upheld the complaint and ordered Hodge to pay £100 compensation for the distress and inconvenience caused, rejecting Miss A's request for £300 as disproportionate to the circumstances.

The Ombudsman's reasoning

While the transfer was completed on time and there was no financial loss due to correct backdating, Hodge provided poor service by failing to respond to the new provider's chasers, causing delays and requiring Miss A to make multiple calls for updates. The ombudsman found £100 to be fair and reasonable compensation for the inconvenience and distress caused, rejecting Miss A's request for £300 as compensation is based on what is fair and reasonable in the circumstances, not on time spent or hourly rates. The ombudsman also noted it had no jurisdiction to consider how Hodge handled the complaint itself, as complaint handling is not a regulated activity under FOS rules.

How this compares

Source

Read the original decision on the Financial Ombudsman Service website