Complaints Procedure

Lending Works is committed to the highest standards of customer service; however, there may be occasions when our customer service does not meet your expectations. It is important to us that if you are unhappy, you contact us as soon as you can so that we can put it right and improve our service. We take complaints very seriously and promise to give your complaint the full attention it deserves. This page defines the process that Lending Works will follow for your complaint. Where possible, all complaints will be closed much faster than this framework prescribes. The standards set out in this policy are based on the Financial Ombudsman Service (FOS) and Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) guidelines.

You can make a complaint to Lending Works by telephone, email or letter.

Where possible, please make your complaint by emailing cs@lendingworks.co.uk.

If you wish to send a letter, then the following address should be used:

Lending Works Limited
MPC 30254
Unit B, Ratty's Lane
Hoddesdon
Hertfordshire EN11 0RF

If you wish to make a complaint by phone or wish to discuss an existing complaint, please call our customer service team on 020 7096 8512.

The information we generally require to process a complaint is:

  • Your contact details, including any daytime phone numbers

  • Your membership number

  • The nature of your complaint

  • Any names of Lending Works employees or dates that are relevant

  • Any losses you suffered

  • What you would like Lending Works to do to put things right

 

The following outlines the 3-step procedure from the moment we receive your complaint:

Step A: We will assign a Customer Experience person to your case

As soon as your complaint is received, Lending Works will appoint a Customer Experience Person to handle the complaint from start to finish. They will take ownership of the complaint and be the person who contacts you, and, should you wish; you can contact them at any time. Should he or she be unavailable, a secondary Customer Experience person shall take responsibility for your complaint.

Within one week (but often much faster) of the complaint being received, we will send you an Acknowledgement. Every Acknowledgement shall include:

  • Name, email address and phone number of the Customer Experience Person assigned to the case

  • Acknowledgment that the complaint has been received

  • Where possible, a resolution to the complaint

  • Where a resolution is not possible, what we are doing to resolve it and when it will be resolved

Step B: Detailed response

We aim to resolve all customer complaints within three weeks. Within three weeks of receiving your complaint, if it hasn’t already been resolved in Step A, Lending Works shall provide an update, which will include:

  • Details of your complaint

  • In the unlikely event your complaint has not been resolved, what will happen next and the time scales

  • What you should do if you are not happy with our overall response

  • You should be informed that you should wait until a Final Response is issued by Lending Works before contacting the Financial Ombudsman Service

Step C: Final response and the Financial Ombudsman Service

In the unlikely event, your complaint has not been resolved in Step B, within eight weeks of receiving the complaint, a Final Response will be issued, which will include:

  • Details of your complaint

  • Details of the resolution to your complaint

  • In the unlikely event your complaint has not been resolved, you shall be informed on how you can refer the complaint to the Financial Ombudsman Service

  • Alternatively, if you remain dissatisfied with our resolution, you shall again be informed on how you can refer the complaint to the Financial Ombudsman Service

  • If you do wish to refer the matter to the Financial Ombudsman, you should do this as soon as possible after the Final Response and certainly within six months

You can find out more about the Financial Ombudsman Service here. You can also contact the Financial Ombudsman Service in writing at:

The Financial Ombudsman Service
Exchange Tower
Harbour Exchange

London
E14 9SR

Alternatively, you can phone them on 0800 023 4567.

There are certain types of complaints which are outside the Ombudsman’s jurisdiction. Before you refer the matter to the Ombudsman you may wish to contact them on 0800 023 4567 to discuss your complaint.

EC online dispute resolution platform

From February 2016, we are required to provide you with details of the European Commission’s online dispute resolution (ODR) platform which allows consumers to submit their complaint through a central site which will forward the complaint to the right Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) scheme. In relation to Lending Works, this is the Financial Ombudsman Service and you can contact them directly as shown in the contact details above. 

For more information about the EC ODR please visit http://ec.europa.eu/consumers/odr/