Upheld: service failure, credit reporting, Data Subject Access Request handling, communication failures complaint against Vanquis Bank Limited

Decision detail

Summary

Mr G complained to the Financial Ombudsman Service about Vanquis Bank's administration of his credit card account, disputing the enforceability of the debt, challenging the Data Subject Access Request response, and objecting to credit reporting and communication methods. Mr G had requested written-only communication due to neurodiversity in May 2025, but Vanquis failed to respond to his letters and subsequently sent text messages. The ombudsman found Mr G was responsible for the debt as he had digitally signed the agreement and used the card, and that the default resulted from his choice not to pay rather than Vanquis's service failures. However, the ombudsman upheld the complaint based on Vanquis's failures to respond to letters and honour the written-communication request, finding Vanquis's offer to write off the £537.57 debt and update the default as settled on the credit file was fair and reasonable compensation.

The Ombudsman's reasoning

The ombudsman found that Mr G was responsible for repayments under the agreement as he had digitally signed it and used the credit card. The account defaulted because Mr G chose not to pay, not because of Vanquis's failure to respond to letters. However, Vanquis did fail to respond to Mr G's May 2025 letters and did not honour his request for written-only communication, instead sending text messages. These failures caused distress and inconvenience. The ombudsman found Vanquis's offer to write off the debt and update the default as settled was fair and reasonable compensation for these service failures. The ombudsman rejected Mr G's arguments about the enforceability of the debt and the technical information requested in the DSAR, finding these would not have materially affected his liability to repay.

How this compares

Source

Read the original decision on the Financial Ombudsman Service website