Complaints Policy

Purpose of procedure

The purpose of the complaints procedure is to ensure that:

The customer has a clear direct route to make a formal complaint offering prompt action and resolution of complaints.
The customer is confident that the complaint will be dealt with effectively and fairly in accordance with customers rights.

Procedure

Please contact us directly to report a complaint and include basic details of your complaint such as:

Name, address, order/account/enquiry number.
What the issue is and how you would like us to remedy it.

Telephone: 01480 220311
E-mail: complaints@spottedpenguin.co.uk
Address: Edison House, Edison Close, Ransomes Europark, Ipswich, Suffolk, IP3 9GU, United Kingdom

All complaints will be referred to our complaints manager who will then:

Acknowledge the complaint in writing within 3 working days, providing reassurance that the complaint has been received and is being dealt with.
Record details of the complaint.
Fully investigate the complaint.
Seek clarification on any points where necessary.
Keep you informed of the progress of the complaint.
Discuss any findings and proposed actions.
Ensure that the complaints procedure is followed.
Provide expected timeframe for resolution - if this is longer than 15 working days we shall communicate an explanation for any delay.

Our aim is to resolve complaints in a timely manner and we will aim to resolve a complaint within 2 - 15 working days, allowing up to 8 weeks for complex complaints.

Investigation

The complaints manager will review the complaint and investigate, providing a written explanation and with any supporting information. This may include photos, checklists or remedial satisfaction notes.

The complaints manager will establish the nature and scope of the complaint having dueregard to the Financial Conduct Authorities direction. This will include:

Dealing with complaints promptly and fairly.
Give complainants clear replies and, where appropriate, fair redress.
Reply within the appropriate timeframe and communicate if the complaint is of a complex nature and the proposed scale of response.

Eligible Complainants

All complainants are considered equally, however, eligible complainants that have purchased goods and services using a lender's finance, are legally defined and have additional rights in law that must be acknowledged and adhered to.

The Financial Conduct Authority complaints rules apply to complaints:

Made by, or on behalf of an eligible complainant.
Relating to regulated activity.
Involving an allegation that the complainant has suffered, or may suffer financial loss, material distress or material inconvenience.

Final response and resolve

This will set out clearly an explained decision. If any compensation, redress or remedial action is offered a comprehensive calculation and explanation will be shown. This must include details of the Financial Ombudsman Service in the final response.

If dealing with an eligible complainant and a regulated activity, in our final response we will:

Include an explanation of your right to refer your complaint to the Financial Ombudsman Service within 6 months of the final response letter, or the right to use this service is no longer available.
Indicate whether or not we consent to waive the relevant time limits.

Complaints settled within 3 business days to the customers satisfaction can be recorded and communicated differently.

Where we consider a complaint to be resolved to the customers satisfaction we will send a ‘Summary Resolution Communication’; written communication which will:

Refer to the fact that the complainant has made a complaint and informs the complainant that we now consider the complaint to have been resolved;
Tell the complainant that if they subsequently decide that they are dissatisfied with the resolution of the complaint they may be able to refer the complaint to the Financial Ombudsman Service;
Indicate whether we as the respondent consent to waive the relevant time limits.
Provide the website address of the Financial Ombudsman Service; and refer to the availability of further information on the website of the Financial Ombudsman Service.

In addition to sending a Summary Resolution Communication, the firm may also use other methods to communicate the information where:

We consider that doing so may better meet the customer’s needs; or
They have already been using another method to communicate about the complaint. This may include recorded calls, emails or text messages.
Closing a complaint

We will consider a complaint closed when we have made our final response to the customer. This does not prevent a customer from exercising any rights they may have to refer the matter to the Financial Ombudsman Service.
We will cooperate fully with the Ombudsman in resolving any complaints made against us and agree to be bound by any awards made by the Ombudsman. We will pay promptly any fees levied by the Ombudsman.
You have the right to refer your complaint to the Financial Ombudsman Service, free of charge, but you must do so within six months of the date of the final response letter.
If you do not refer your complaint in time, the Ombudsman do not have our permission to consider your complaint, and so will only be able to do so, in very limited circumstances. For example, if the Ombudsman believes that the delay was as a result of exceptional circumstances.

Contact details for the Financial Ombudsman Service:

The Financial Ombudsman Service, Exchange Tower, London, E14 9SR

Telephone: 0800 023 4567 or 0300 123 9123 or 020 7964 0500

Email: complaint.info@financial-ombudsman.org.uk

Website: www.financial-ombudsman.org.uk