Not upheld: ISA transfer processing delays and account inactivity complaint against Coventry Building Society
Financial Ombudsman decision DRN-6295794 of 2026-06-10T00:00:00+00:00. ISA transfer processing delays and account inactivity complaint against Coventry Building Society. Outcome: Not upheld.
Decision detail
| Reference | DRN-6295794 |
|---|---|
| Decision date | 2026-06-10T00:00:00+00:00 |
| Firm | Coventry Building Society |
| Product | Savings / ISA |
| Claim type | ISA transfer processing delays and account inactivity |
| Outcome | Not upheld |
| Remedy | No further remedy ordered. The £175 compensation already paid by Coventry (£75 in October 2025 and £100 in January 2026) was deemed fair and reasonable. The ombudsman declined to require Coventry to redirect compensation into the ISA account. |
Summary
Ms H complained to Coventry Building Society about difficulties transferring money into her ISA in October 2025, which resulted in a 4-day delay and loss of interest. She also experienced account inactivity issues in January 2026 that prevented online transfers. Coventry paid £75 for the October issues and £100 for the January issues (£175 total). Ms H was dissatisfied, believing the compensation was inadequate and should have been paid into her ISA. The ombudsman found that Coventry acted promptly and fairly, that the delays were brief, and that Ms H was still able to make transfers. The ombudsman upheld Coventry's position that the £175 compensation was fair and reasonable and declined to order further action.
The Ombudsman's reasoning
The ombudsman found that Coventry acted promptly to support Ms H after she alerted it to problems and that the delays experienced were measured in days rather than weeks. While Ms H experienced frustration, the evidence showed she was still able to transfer money into her ISA. The £175 total compensation was found to be in line with awards made for repeated small issues that take reasonable time to resolve. The ombudsman could not require Coventry to provide computer logs it did not have and was satisfied with Coventry's explanation for the inactivity issues.
How this compares
| Group | Decisions | Uphold rate |
|---|---|---|
| Coventry Building Society, all decisions | 380 | 10% |
| Savings / ISA, all decisions | 7,604 | 22% |
Source
Read the original decision on the Financial Ombudsman Service website