Not upheld: Irresponsible trading, inadequate information provision, and unfair position closure complaint against Trading 212 UK Limited

Decision detail

Summary

Mr Q complained that T212 unfairly allowed him to trade CFDs, failed to provide adequate information, and caused him a £20,000 loss by closing his gold and silver positions due to a margin call in January 2026. Mr Q argued he could not monitor his account due to work commitments and later disclosed a medical condition affecting his financial decisions. The ombudsman found T212 acted fairly because Mr Q had provided sufficient knowledge and experience information during account opening, passed key knowledge assessment questions, T212 clearly communicated margin requirements in its terms, and T212 properly closed positions when required by FCA rules. The ombudsman concluded T212 was not aware of Mr Q's medical condition and is not obligated to inquire about disabilities, and that the execution-only nature of the service placed monitoring responsibility on Mr Q.

The Ombudsman's reasoning

The ombudsman found T212 acted fairly because: (1) Mr Q provided sufficient information demonstrating knowledge and experience to make CFD trading appropriate, including prior CFD and share trading experience and passing key knowledge questions; (2) T212 clearly communicated margin requirements and closure procedures in its terms; (3) T212 properly closed positions when Mr Q's account fell below the 50% margin threshold, as required by FCA rules; (4) T212 provided information about risk mitigation tools like stop loss, and Mr Q's lack of awareness did not render trading inappropriate; (5) T212 operated on an execution-only basis, placing responsibility on Mr Q to monitor positions; (6) T212 was not aware of Mr Q's medical condition and is not obligated to inquire about disabilities; (7) the subsequent terms changes related to rollovers, not margin closures, and did not demonstrate unfair treatment.

How this compares

Source

Read the original decision on the Financial Ombudsman Service website