Not upheld: service failure - incorrect information about address change and failure to implement requested action complaint against Capital One (Europe) plc

Decision detail

Summary

Mr M complained that Capital One incorrectly confirmed it had updated his account with a C/O address for privacy and wellbeing reasons, later revealing this was not possible. Mr M, who had disclosed vulnerabilities including homelessness, claimed the misinformation caused him severe distress and anxiety and placed his personal data at risk. Capital One offered £50 compensation but Mr M sought debt write-off and credit file protection. The ombudsman did not uphold the complaint, finding that while initial misinformation occurred, correct information was provided within two days, postal correspondence went to the address Mr M requested, and Capital One's policy of only adding C/O addresses in exceptional circumstances was reasonable.

The Ombudsman's reasoning

The ombudsman acknowledged that Capital One provided inconsistent information on 20 January 2026 but found that correct information was provided only two days later. Since postal correspondence was being sent to the address Mr M had requested and no mail went to the previous address, the ombudsman concluded the impact was limited. The ombudsman found Capital One's policy of only adding C/O addresses in exceptional circumstances was not unreasonable and that Mr M's situation did not meet this threshold. While sympathetic to Mr M's distress, the ombudsman determined the £50 compensation was adequate.

How this compares

Source

Read the original decision on the Financial Ombudsman Service website