Our complaints procedure

1.0 What counts as a complaint

The Financial Conduct Authority defines a complaint as any spoken or written expression of dissatisfaction, whether justified or not, about a financial service we have provided or failed to provide, where you say you have suffered, or may suffer, financial loss, material distress or material inconvenience.

You do not have to use the word “complaint”. If you tell us you are out of pocket, or have been caused distress or inconvenience, because of something we have done, we will treat it as a complaint. Someone else can also complain on your behalf.

2.0 How to complain

You can complain in whatever way suits you, including by phone, email, letter or social media:

• Call us on 01924 221854, Monday to Friday, 9am to 7pm;
• Email us at customerservice@v5solutions.co.uk; or
• Write to us at:

It helps if you tell us your name, your loan details, what went wrong and what you would like us to do to put it right.

3.0 What happens next

1. We try to resolve it straight away. The team you speak to will try to sort out your complaint quickly. If you are still unhappy, it is escalated to our Managing Director.
2. If we resolve it within three business days, by the close of business on the third business day after the day we receive it, we will write to confirm that we believe it is resolved. The letter invites you to contact us if you have any further concerns and explains your right to refer your complaint to the Financial Ombudsman Service.
3. If it takes longer, we will send you a written acknowledgement promptly, normally within 5 business days, so you know we have your complaint and are looking into it. We will keep you updated on our progress.
4. We send our final response within 8 weeks of receiving your complaint, and as soon as we can. It addresses each of your concerns, explains what we have done and what happens next, and sets out your right to refer your complaint to the Financial Ombudsman Service. Wherever we can, we will also call you to talk you through our decision.
5. If we cannot give a final response within 8 weeks, we will write to explain why, and tell you that you can refer your complaint to the Financial Ombudsman Service if you wish.

4.0 How we look into your complaint

We aim to reach a fair and impartial decision, and to explain it in plain English. We look at each point you raise, what impact it has had on you and what it is fair and reasonable for you to expect, taking into account guidance from the Financial Conduct Authority and the Financial Ombudsman Service.

We review all the evidence we hold, including your account notes, call recordings, financial records, the documents we have sent and received, and our own policies and procedures. A lack of evidence will not make your complaint less valid.

5.0 Putting things right

If we have got something wrong, we will aim to put you back in the position you would have been in. For example, we may refund costs you have had to pay because of our mistake, such as phone call or bank charges, or remove a credit search from your credit file if it was made in error.

Where our mistake has caused you material distress or inconvenience, we will consider whether compensation is appropriate, in line with the Financial Ombudsman Service's approach. Any compensation is paid to your bank account by Faster Payment. Even where we do not pay compensation, we will acknowledge any mistake we have made and take responsibility for it.

6.0 The Financial Ombudsman Service

If you are unhappy with our final response, or we have not sent you one within 8 weeks, you can refer your complaint to the Financial Ombudsman Service. It is free and independent. You need to do this within 6 months of the date of our final response.

• Website: www.financial-ombudsman.org.uk (opens in a new tab)
• Phone: 0800 023 4567
• Email: complaint.info@financial-ombudsman.org.uk

We co-operate fully with the Ombudsman and provide all the information it needs to reach a decision.

7.0 Learning from complaints

Your feedback helps us improve. We look for the root cause of every complaint, so we can fix recurring problems and improve our products, processes and training for all our customers.