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Complaints Policy

We are committed to providing a quality, professional service with your best interests in mind. In the unlikely event that you feel the need to complain, this should be directed to ‘The Complaints Officer’ at The Debt Advisor Ltd (Company Number 06248441),

Your complaint will be acknowledged within 3 working days and, following a full investigation, a response will be given within 8 weeks. You will be kept updated in relation to the progress of your complaint.

Stage One – Your Complaint

What is a complaint?

If you are dissatisfied with ANY aspect of the service we provide, for whatever reason, this is a complaint and will be dealt with under this procedure.

How can a complaint be made?

You can make a complaint by:-

  • Telephone on 0161 868 2500
  • Letter addressed to our Complaints Officer at The Debt Advisor Ltd, 18-22 Lloyd Street, Manchester, M2 5WA
  • Email to complaints@thedebtadvisor.co.uk.

Who does the complaint need to be addressed to?

Your complaint should be directed to our Complaint Officer and will always be investigated by someone independent of the original problem.

What information should I include with my complaint?

Please ensure you make it clear:

  • That you are making a complaint;
  • The reason you are complaining;
  • If appropriate, the person you are complaining about and what it is you consider they did wrong;
  • How you have been affected;
  • Any suggestions you have as to how the issue could be resolved.

Your complaint will still be fully considered even if all of the above information is not included.

Stage Two – Our first Response

What response should I expect to receive from my complaint?

We will promptly, but no later than within 3 business days of receipt of your complaint, send to you:

  • A written acknowledgement confirming who will be dealing with your complaint and how you can contact that person.
  • An indication of how long it will take to resolve your complaint.
  • A copy of our complaints procedure.

If we need more information, we will request it from you. Even if you do not provide the information, we will still continue with this complaints procedure. In that case we will only be able to resolve the complaint acting on the information available.

If your complaint is in relation to the advice or service you received prior to taking out a product including an IVA or Debt Management and we are able to resolve your complaint within 3 full business days following receipt, and this is to your satisfaction, we will issue a Summary Resolution Communication detailing our findings and conclusion along with the Financial Ombudsman Service (FOS) details who can be contacted at within 6 months of the date of the final response letter:

Complaints relating to the advice or service you received prior to taking out a product, including an IVA or Debt Management Plan.

If the complaint is regarding the advice or service you received prior to taking out a product including an IVA or Debt Management and having received our final response letter you remain dissatisfied, you may refer the issue to the Financial Ombudsman Service (FOS) who can be contacted at within 6 months of the date of the final response letter:

We will also provide you with a copy of the Financial Ombudsman Service leaflet; ‘your complaint and the ombudsman’.

Complaints Relating to an Insolvency Practitioner, IVA or Corporate Insolvency.

If your complaint relates to an Insolvency Practitioner or a formal insolvency such as an IVA or corporate insolvency and having received out final response letter you remain dissatisfied, you can refer this matter to the Insolvency Complaints Gateway (“ICG”):

If we have reasonable grounds to be satisfied that another firm may be solely or jointly responsible for the concerns arising, we will promptly forward the complaint or the relevant part of it to that firm. We will write to you to confirm our actions and provide contact details of the firm concerned.

When can I expect a reply?

We will aim to complete our investigation within eight weeks from receipt of your complaint. We will ensure that you are kept informed of our progress regarding the investigation. If we are unable to do so, we will contact you in writing after eight weeks to advise you that our investigations are continuing, why we have not yet resolved the problem and when you can expect us to make further contact.

If the process is going to take more than eight weeks, we will again contact you in writing to advise:

  • We need more time, and why;
  • An estimate of how long we think it will take us to resolve your complaint.
  • Provide you with details on how you can choose to escalate the complaint to FOS or ICG even whilst we are still investigating the complaint for you.

If you are not happy with the delay, what steps you can take to pursue the complaint further.

Stage Three – Our Decision

Once our investigation is complete, we will write to you with our findings. This response will set out:

  • Our findings.
  • If your complaint is upheld, how we intend to rectify the situation.
  • If your complaint is not upheld, our reasons for coming to this decision.
  • Details of what steps you can take to pursue the complaint. (including your rights to refer the matter and the relevant external party).

What do I need to do next?

If you accept our findings, you will need to confirm this in verbally or in writing If we are unable to communicate with you we will assume that you are satisfied with the outcome of the complaint and will not write to you again.

If you do not accept our response any offer of redress or other proposal we have made will be automatically withdrawn.

Complaints relating to the advice or service you received prior to taking out a product, including an IVA or Debt Management Plan

If you are dissatisfied with our response in relation to the advice or service you received prior to taking out a product, including an IVA or a Debt Management Plan, you can refer your complaint to the Financial Ombudsman Service (FOS).

Please note you have six months from the date of our final response letter in which this matter can be raised with the Financial Ombudsman.  If you do not refer your complaint in time, the Ombudsman will 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 a result of exceptional circumstances.

Complaints relating to an Insolvency Practitioner, IVA or Corporate Insolvency

Where we are dealing with you in relation to an insolvency practitioner, a formal insolvency debt solution such as an IVA or Corporate debt solution, and you do not consider that your complaint has been dealt with:

  • adequately within the timescales laid down by our internal policy; and/or
  • addresses your concerns to your reasonable satisfaction.

You should address your concerns to the Insolvency Complaints Gateway (“ICG”).

The ICG are a government department that will investigate the basis of your complaint and what we have done as a company to address your concerns to your satisfaction. The ICG can be contacted as follows:

Telephone: 0845 602 9848
Mail: IP Complaints, Insolvency Service, 3rd Floor, 1 City Walk, Leeds, LS11 9DA
Web: https://www.gov.uk/complain-about-insolvency-practitioner

The full complaints procedures for The Financial Ombudsman Service and the IPA can be found in the following links: