dealing with complaints

The Darlington Building Society Group takes every effort to ensure that its customers enjoy a trouble free service. However, there are occasions when our customers may be disappointed with the service they receive, or some difficulty might arise.
 
We operate a straightforward internal customer complaints procedure which has been designed to resolve your complaint as quickly as possible and to meet the requirements of the Financial Services Authority and Financial Ombudsman Service.
 
Complaints Procedure:
  • Your complaint can be made by fax, telephone, in person, via our website or in writing to the relevant Branch Manager/Department Head or his/her deputy.
  • Details of your complaint will be recorded and we will send you a written acknowledgement within 5 working days of receipt of your complaint.
  • The relevant Manager will investigate your complaint and a detailed response issued within 4 weeks of receiving your complaint.
  • Should you have any concerns in the meantime you should contact the member of staff whose name appears on the acknowledgement letter.
  • After receiving our response, if you feel your complaint has not been fully or fairly addressed please inform the Society in writing, addressed to our Compliance Manager, who will arrange for a member of Senior Management to review your case.
  • They will issue the Society’s final response within 8 weeks of the initial receipt of your complaint or will explain why we are not in a position to make a final response. Understandably, the process may take longer than 8 weeks if you are unable to reply to our earlier correspondence.
  • In the unlikely event that no response is provided by us within the 8 week period you are entitled to refer your complaint to the Ombudsman.
 
If you still remain dissatisfied, following our final response, you have the option to refer the matter to the Financial Ombudsman Service at:
 
The Financial Ombudsman Service
South Quay Plaza 
183 Marsh Wall 
London
E14 9SR

www.financial-ombudsman.org.uk 

  • The Ombudsman will only consider any complaint if the Society’s internal complaints procedure has been exhausted.
  • You should refer the matter to the Ombudsman as soon as possible after our final response, but in any event no later than 6 months after that date.

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