INTERNAL COMPLAINTS PROCEDURE

These guidelines have been produced as an easy guide on how we will deal with your complaint, in the event that our service falls short of your expectations.

• We will try to ensure we resolve all our complaints by the close of business on the business day following receipt of the complaint by you.  If the complaint is resolved by the close of the third business day, we will issue you with a Summary Resolution Communication.
• If this is not possible then we will ensure that we send you an acknowledgement letter within 5 business days of your complaint being received.  This will set out the name of the person dealing with the complaint.
• In most cases you will receive a response within 4 weeks of us initially receiving your complaint. However, in the unlikely event that we are unable to provide a response within 4 weeks, we will write to you with an update, explaining the reasons for the delay, along with details of when you can expect to receive our response.
• By the end of eight weeks after receipt of your complaint we will send you our Final Response. If we have not been able to provide our Final Response in this time we will tell you our reasons for the further delay and indicate to you when we are able to do this. At this stage you can refer the complaint to the Financial Ombudsman Service if you are either dissatisfied with our Final Response or with the further delay. Details of the Financial Ombudsman Service will be sent to you at this stage. If we have not been able to resolve the complaint we will ask you at this stage if you would be happy to extend the period by which we can resolve the complaint before you decide to refer the matter to the Financial Ombudsman Service.
• When you receive the Final Response from us and if you are not satisfied then you should ensure that you refer the complaint to the Financial Ombudsman Service within 6 months from the date when the Final Response is sent to you by us.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 as a result of exceptional circumstances.It is our aim to ensure that all complaints are dealt with speedily and at the earliest stage.
• A complaint can be made to us verbally or in writing.  To make a verbal complaint you can call us on 01664 414141.  You can write to us at Principal Office, Mutual House, Leicester Road, Melton Mowbray, Leicestershire LE13 0DB or email mbslenquiries@mbsl.co.uk.

It is important to remember that you will need to complete our Internal Complaints Procedure before the Ombudsman will review your concerns. However, we believe that we should be able to resolve any issues without reference to a third party. To contact the Financial Ombudsman Service phone: 0300 123 9123 or 0800 023 4567 or email: complaint.info@financial-ombudsman.org.uk.

For further information please visit www.financial-ombudsman.org.uk.