Not upheld: unfair treatment of vulnerable customer / balance write-off request complaint against Vanquis Bank Limited

Decision detail

Summary

Mr P, a credit card customer with documented PTSD, anxiety and depression, requested that Vanquis Bank write off his outstanding balance and submitted a Debt and Mental Health Evidence Form completed by his GP. Vanquis responded the same day, respected his communication preferences, and offered multiple forbearance options including interest-free payment plans and token payments, but requested an income and expenditure form before considering a full write-off. Mr P declined all alternatives and complained that Vanquis treated him unfairly as a vulnerable customer. The ombudsman found that Vanquis acted fairly and proportionately by seeking additional information to inform its commercial decision and by offering appropriate forbearance options, and therefore did not uphold the complaint.

The Ombudsman's reasoning

The ombudsman found that while the DHMEF helps creditors consider mental health problems, it does not create an automatic right to a balance write-off. Vanquis acted fairly by considering Mr P's circumstances and offering multiple forbearance options. Requesting additional financial information to inform a commercial decision about write-off was not unreasonable, even given Mr P's mental health difficulties. Vanquis demonstrated forbearance and due consideration by responding promptly, respecting communication preferences, offering goodwill payment relief, and proposing alternative support options.

How this compares

Source

Read the original decision on the Financial Ombudsman Service website