Complaints Handling Policy
1. REGULATORY REQUIREMENTS
The Financial Conduct Authority requires Maddison Clarke Ltd (‘the Firm’) to operate a Complaints Handling Policy that enables the effective identification, investigation and resolution of customer complaints.
Principle 12 of the FCA’s Principles for Businesses requires the Firm to provide a customer with a good outcome. Part of the Firm’s commitment to treating customers fairly is to ensure that customers do not experience any post-sale barriers such as experiencing difficulties in lodging complaints.
2. DEFINITION
The FCA define a complaint as ‘any oral or written expression of dissatisfaction, whether justified or not, from, or on behalf of a customer or potential customer about the provision of, or failure to provide a service which alleges that the complainant has suffered (or may suffer) financial loss, material distress or material inconvenience and relates to an activity of the Firm or any other organisation that the Firm has some connection to in marketing or providing financial services or products’.
In other words, a complaint is any expression of dissatisfaction about the provision of the Firm’s claims management activities, whether justified or not.
It should be noted that as we dela with unregulated activities also that any complaint about these services (e.g. Business Energy Claims, Diesel Emission Claims etc) these will also be dealt with in accordance with this policy with the exception that those complaints cannot be referred to the Financial Ombudsman should you reject our final response – further details are provided below).
We strive to ensure that there should be no reason for customers to have any cause for complaint in relation to the service we provide. In the unlikely event that customers wish to raise a complaint or have any other concerns with regard to any service we have provided they may submit a complaint which we will endeavour to resolve at the earliest opportunity.
3. SUBMITTING A COMPLAINT
Complaints may be made in writing, by email, by telephone or in any other form in respect of a claims management service that the Firm has provided. Customers making a complaint should use the following contact details:
Complaints Handler: Ben Hacking
Telephone: 01618230856
Address: Wren Nest Business Centre, 5 Wren Nest Road, Glossop, SK13 8HB
Email: ben.hacking@maddisonclarke.co.uk
The following complaints procedure is made available to every customer upon request, will be supplied upon receipt of a complaint and is published on the Firm’s website.
We strive to ensure that there should be no reason for customers to have any cause for complaint in relation to the service we provide. In the unlikely event that customers wish to raise a complaint or have any other concerns with regard to any service we have provided they may submit a formal complaint.
We will always attempt to resolve complaints as quickly as possible. We will aim to do this by close of business on the third working day following receipt of a complaint. If we are able to agree a resolution within this time frame, we will follow up by letter or email, to confirm this and explain the next steps. If the resolution is accepted, this will conclude the complaint.
Should a further (or new) complaint arise from the same customer, or in the event that we are unable to resolve the complaint within three business days, it will be logged and dealt with as follows:
3.1. ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
Where we need more time to resolve a complaint, or a formal written complaint is received, we will send a written or electronic acknowledgement to the customer within five business days, outlining our understanding of the complaint points and identifying the individual handling the complaint.
Wherever possible that individual will not have been directly involved in the matter, which is the subject of the complaint, and will have authority to settle the complaint.
3.2. COMPLAINTS FORWARDING
If your complaint solely relates to a third party such as a solicitor, we will forward your complaint to the third party that we believe is solely responsible for your complaint. We will send you an acknowledgment within 5 working days to inform you of this which will include the third parties’ details and their complaint handling procedure which will detail how they will address your complaint. If we are jointly responsible with a third party for the complaint, we will issue you an acknowledgement within 5 working days and inform you of how we will investigate your complaint and the timescales of which we have to address your complaint.
3.3. COMPLAINTS INVESTIGATION
We will endeavour to issue a final written response at the earliest opportunity to the complaint and within eight weeks of initial receipt.
The Firm’s ‘final response’, bring a written response from the respondent which:
(a) accepts the complaint and, where appropriate, offers redress or remedial action (appropriate redress will not always involve financial redress); or
(b) offers redress or remedial action without accepting the complaint; or
(c) rejects the complaint and gives reasons for doing so
and which:
informs you the complainant that if you are not satisfied with our response, you may refer the complaint to the Claims Management Ombudsman by letter, email or telephone. A Financial Ombudsman Services explanatory leaflet will accompany the final response;
or if the complaint relates to unregulated activities: Informs you that if you are are not satisfied with our response, you may refer your complaint to their local Trading Standards Service or local Citizens Advice Bureau or alternatively engage another third party to assist with escalating the complaint. The Financial Ombudsman Service cannot deal with complaints regarding unregulated activities.
If a complaint is not resolved after eight weeks, we will explain why we are not in a position to make a final response and indicate when we expect to be able to provide one; or if dissatisfied with our final response, complainants can refer the complaint to the Claims Management Ombudsman.
3.4. APPEALS PROCESS (For regulated claims management activities)
The Claims Management Ombudsman (CMO) is part of the Financial Ombudsman Service. They can help to resolve complaints between claims management firms and consumers in a fair and impartial way. They may investigate complaints up to six years from the date of the problem happening or within three years of the complainant becoming aware of the problem. We will fully co-operate with the Claims Management Ombudsman should you choose to refer your complaint to them.
Complaints to the Claims Management Ombudsman must be submitted within six months of our final response to the complaint.
Their contact details are:
Claims Management Ombudsman
Exchange Tower
London
E14 9SR
Tel: 0800 023 4567
Web: cmc.financial-ombudsman.org.uk
The Finance Claim.
The Finance Claim is a trading style of Maddison Clarke Ltd, registered in England & Wales, registered address Wren Nest Business Centre, Wren Nest Road, Glossop, SK13 8HB. DPA number ZA445087. Maddison Clarke LTD is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority In respect of claims management activities. (Firm reference number: 838445)
© 2025 The Finance Claim. All rights reserved.