Complaints

If we have got something wrong, we want to know. Nobody enjoys this part, but a complaint handled properly is worth more than one that never reaches us.

Tell us what happened, when, and what you would like us to do about it. If you have a reference number or the date you applied, that helps us find your file quickly, but do not worry if you do not.

You do not need to use any particular form of words, and you do not need to use the word complaint. If you are unhappy, that is enough.

We will acknowledge your complaint promptly and look into it properly.

If we can sort it out within three working days, we will write to you confirming what we have agreed and let you know you can still go to the Financial Ombudsman Service if you are not satisfied.

If it takes longer, we will keep you updated and send you a final response within eight weeks, which is the maximum the Financial Conduct Authority allows. That letter will explain what we found, what we are doing about it, and what to do if you disagree.

Some things are ours and some are not. If your complaint is about a credit decision, the vehicle, the agreement itself or how the lender has treated you, that is for them rather than us. Tell us anyway. We will pass it on, tell you who is dealing with it, and give you their details so you can follow it up directly.

You can take your complaint to the Financial Ombudsman Service. It is free, it is independent of us, and it exists precisely because firms do not always get it right.

Two limits apply, and it is worth knowing them.

You normally have six months from the date of our final response to refer the complaint to the Ombudsman.

And you normally need to complain within six years of what went wrong, or within three years of when you realised, or reasonably should have realised, that you had cause to complain, whichever is later.

If you are outside those limits the Ombudsman may still look at it in some circumstances, so it is worth asking rather than assuming.

If your complaint is about how we have handled your personal data, you can also raise it with the Information Commissioner's Office at ico.org.uk/make-a-complaint or on 0303 123 1113. Our privacy policy has the detail.