Complaints Information

Last updated: [PLACEHOLDER: date of last review]. We want to hear about it if something has gone wrong. Most problems can be sorted out quickly once we understand them, and every complaint helps us improve the service.

1. Which complaints route applies to you

Debt Factoring is an independent information and enquiry service. We are not a lender and we do not provide finance ourselves. That matters for complaints, because the right route depends on who did the thing you are unhappy about.

2. How to complain to Debt Factoring

You can complain about anything we are responsible for, including inaccurate content, the calculator, a form that did not work, a delay in responding, the way an enquiry was passed on, or the conduct of anyone acting for us.

2.1 How to contact us

• Email: [PLACEHOLDER: complaints email address] with "Complaint" in the subject line
• Post: [PLACEHOLDER: postal address for complaints]
• Telephone: [PLACEHOLDER: telephone number and hours, or delete if complaints are not taken by phone]
• Online: the contact form, choosing [PLACEHOLDER: the subject option that routes to complaints, if the form has one]

Please tell us your name, the business you contacted us on behalf of, the date of the enquiry or the page concerned, what went wrong and what you would like us to do about it. If someone is complaining for you, we will need your written authority before we can discuss the matter with them.

2.2 What happens next

1. Acknowledgement

   We will acknowledge your complaint within [PLACEHOLDER: e.g. 3 working days], tell you who is dealing with it and give you a reference.

2. Investigation

   We will look into what happened, including reviewing any correspondence and, where relevant, asking the organisation that received your enquiry for its records.

3. Response

   We aim to send a final written response within [PLACEHOLDER: e.g. 15 working days]. If we cannot, we will explain why and tell you when to expect it. In any event we will respond within [PLACEHOLDER: e.g. 8 weeks].

4. Outcome

   Our response will say whether we uphold the complaint, what we will do to put things right, and what your options are if you remain dissatisfied.

Complaints are handled by [PLACEHOLDER: role of the person responsible for complaints, e.g. "the proprietor" or "the Compliance Manager"; do not name an individual unless they have agreed]. We keep a record of every complaint for [PLACEHOLDER: retention period, e.g. 6 years].

2.3 If you are still unhappy

Because invoice finance for limited companies and LLPs is not regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority, and because we do not provide finance ourselves, there is no statutory ombudsman for complaints about our information service. [PLACEHOLDER: if the business holds FCA permissions, replace this paragraph with the Financial Ombudsman Service wording in section 5] If you believe we have broken the law, for example on advertising or data protection, you can contact the relevant authority: the Advertising Standards Authority for advertising, the Information Commissioner's Office for personal data (section 6), or Trading Standards through Citizens Advice.

3. Complaints about a finance provider

If your complaint is about a quotation, the terms of a facility, fees, collections, the release of funds, a termination fee or the way a provider's staff treated you, it needs to go to the provider. We are not party to your agreement with the provider, we do not have access to your facility and we cannot change a provider's decision.

Every provider that follows the UK Finance Standards Framework must have a written complaints procedure and tell you about it. In practice:

• Check your facility agreement or the provider's website for its complaints procedure and contact details.
• Put the complaint in writing, keep a copy, and set out clearly what you want the provider to do.
• Give the provider a reasonable time to respond. Under the UK Finance Code a member must deal with complaints promptly and fairly and tell you about the independent complaints process once its own procedure is exhausted.
• Keep records of every call and letter, including dates and the names of people you spoke to.

If you tell us about a complaint against a provider, we will log it and, where appropriate, raise it with the organisation that received your enquiry. We cannot adjudicate on it.

4. The UK Finance independent complaints process

Most UK invoice finance and asset-based lending providers are members of UK Finance and follow its Invoice Finance and Asset Based Lending Standards Framework. The framework has three parts: a Code that members must follow, an independent Professional Standards Council that oversees it, and an independent complaints process.

The independent complaints process is adjudicated by CEDR (the Centre for Effective Dispute Resolution). It is designed for clients of member firms who have exhausted the member's own complaints procedure and remain dissatisfied. Key points:

• It applies only to complaints about UK Finance members. If your provider is not a member, the process is not available and your remaining options are the provider's own procedure, negotiation or legal advice.
• The adjudicator can make awards of up to £50,000.
• The process considers whether the member has complied with the Code and treated you fairly; it is not a court and does not replace legal proceedings.
• There are time limits for bringing a complaint after the member's final response. Check the current rules on the UK Finance website.

Full details of the Code, the Professional Standards Council and how to refer a complaint are published at UK Finance: Invoice Finance and Asset Based Lending Standards Framework.

5. FCA and Financial Ombudsman Service route

[PLACEHOLDER: this section applies only if Debt Factoring, or the intermediary that receives enquiries, holds FCA permissions (for example for credit broking) or acts as an appointed representative of an FCA-authorised firm. Confirm the position with a compliance adviser and then choose ONE of the following.]

Option A: no FCA permissions held

[PLACEHOLDER: "Debt Factoring is not authorised or regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority and does not act as an appointed representative of an authorised firm. The Financial Ombudsman Service cannot consider complaints about our service. Complaints about an FCA-authorised firm to which your enquiry was passed should be made to that firm, which must follow the FCA's complaint-handling rules (DISP); eligible complainants, including micro-enterprises and small businesses within the FCA's thresholds, may be able to refer an unresolved complaint to the Financial Ombudsman Service."]

Option B: FCA permissions or appointed representative status held

[PLACEHOLDER: "Debt Factoring is [authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority, FRN ______] / [an appointed representative of ______, which is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority, FRN ______]. Complaints about regulated activities are handled under the FCA's DISP rules: we will acknowledge your complaint promptly and send a final response within 8 weeks. If you are an eligible complainant and you are dissatisfied with our final response, or 8 weeks have passed, you may refer the complaint to the Financial Ombudsman Service within 6 months. Contact details: financial-ombudsman.org.uk, 0800 023 4567, Exchange Tower, London E14 9SR."]

Whichever option is adopted, the wording must match the firm's entry on the Financial Services Register at fca.org.uk, and the same statement must appear on the regulatory information page.

6. Complaints about personal data

If your complaint concerns how we have collected, used or shared your personal data, contact us first using the details in section 2 so we can investigate. You also have the right to complain to the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) at any time at ico.org.uk or on 0303 123 1113. Our privacy policy explains your rights in full.

7. How we use complaints

We review complaints [PLACEHOLDER: frequency, e.g. quarterly] to identify patterns and improve the website, the enquiry process and the information we publish. Where a complaint reveals that content was wrong or misleading, we correct it promptly. Where it concerns the organisation that receives enquiries, we take the outcome into account when reviewing that arrangement.

See also our regulatory information, privacy policy and terms and conditions, and our guide on whether invoice finance is regulated.