Bank of Scotland tops mortgage complaints list
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Figures released by the Financial Ombudsman Service today reveal that the Bank of Scotland received the highest number of mortgage complaints between January and June 2010.
FOS data includes both the number of complaints received about individual businesses and the percentage of complaints upheld by the ombudsman service in favour of consumers.
Bank of Scotland received 500 complaints relating to mortgages, 25% of which were upheld, this was followed by Barclays bank which received 473, 51% upheld.
Santander UK received 434 mortgage complaints, 29% of which were upheld.
Northern Rock (Asset Management) received the fourth largest number of mortgage complaints with 193, 42% of which were upheld, followed by Cheltenham & Gloucester which received 170 complains, with 27% upheld.
Ex-Lehman Brothers owned lender Preferred Mortgages, which no longer offers mortgages, received 38 complaints, 58% of which were upheld, Southern Pacific Mortgages, which also no longer lends, received 52, 57% of which were upheld.
Future Mortgages received 28 complaints, with 55% upheld, while Mortgage Express received 78 complaints, 35% of which were upheld.
Overall, during this six-month period, the ombudsman service received a total of 84,212 new complaints – a small increase on the 82,136 cases received in the second half of 2009.
Lloyds Banking Group, headed the list with 12,750 new complaints in the six month period.
In the first half of 2010 the ombudsman service upheld an average of 44% of complaints in favour of consumers, compared to 53% in the second half of 2009.
Across the 160 individual businesses included in the complaints data, this uphold rate varied substantially between 14% and 100% upheld in favour of consumers.
Natalie Ceeney, chief executive and chief ombudsman, says: “The latest set of complaints data shows that some businesses are really committed to ensuring that complaints are handled well, and are used to inform and improve the service they offer their customers.
“However, the complaints data also shows there is still more that some businesses need to do to ensure that complaints are properly investigated and fairly resolved. The ombudsman is keen to continue to play its part and help businesses draw lessons from the complaints that we see, so disputes can be sorted out at the earliest opportunity.”
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