Not upheld: account access restriction due to device security incompatibility complaint against Charter Court Financial Services Limited trading as Charter Savings Bank

Decision detail

Summary

Mrs R complained that Charter Savings Bank prevented her from accessing her savings account because she was using an older laptop model. CSB explained that the laptop provider had stopped providing security updates for the device, preventing secure connections to the bank's systems. CSB offered alternative support including telephone assistance and confirmed Mrs R could access her account using a different device. The ombudsman found that CSB acted fairly and reasonably by prioritizing security and offering alternative access methods, and that the firm could not be held responsible for the laptop provider's decision to cease software updates. The complaint was not upheld.

The Ombudsman's reasoning

The ombudsman found that CSB's restriction of access was justified on security grounds, as the laptop provider had ceased providing security updates for the device's operating system. The ombudsman determined that CSB could not be held responsible for third-party software provider decisions and that the firm took reasonable steps to support Mrs R by offering alternative access methods (telephone support and written requests) and investigating the issue. The ombudsman noted that inconvenience alone does not constitute unfair treatment when circumstances are beyond the firm's control.

How this compares

Source

Read the original decision on the Financial Ombudsman Service website