Not upheld: failure to make reasonable adjustments and complaint handling delay complaint against J.P. Morgan Europe Limited (trading as Chase)

Decision detail

Summary

Mr K, a hard of hearing customer with a mental condition affecting portal access, complained that Chase failed to send a holding message by email on 14 October 2025 despite his documented preference for email communication. Chase acknowledged the complaint on 25 October 2025, apologised for the delay, and agreed to use email in future as a reasonable adjustment. The ombudsman found that Chase's response was reasonable and that the one-day delay in accessing the message did not merit compensation, resulting in the complaint being not upheld.

The Ombudsman's reasoning

Banks have a duty to make reasonable adjustments for customers with disabilities. Chase's agreement to use email communication after learning of Mr K's difficulty with the portal constituted a reasonable adjustment. The characterisation of this as an exception was appropriate as Mr K would be treated differently from other customers. The one-day delay in accessing the message did not cause sufficient impact to merit compensation, and Chase's acknowledgement and apology for the delay in handling the complaint was reasonable.

How this compares

Source

Read the original decision on the Financial Ombudsman Service website