We aim to provide exemplary service consistently to our supporting intermediaries and clients and to be fair and reasonable in our dealings with intermediaries, and by extension their clients, at all stages of the policy process, whether at underwriting, premium collection, renewal or claims stages.
Despite our best intentions, occasionally things do and will go wrong and supporting intermediaries or their clients may feel the need to make a complaint. To reflect the seriousness with which we take complaints, all complaints will be handled by the Managing Director, Nigel Hartley.
To make a complaint please contact Us by one of the following methods:
T: 0121-717-4755
E: enquiries@optimalprotection.co.uk
P: Optimal, Holloway House, 71 Eastgate Street, Gloucester, GL1 1PW
As an Appointed Representative of The Original Holloway Friendly Society Limited, if we are unable to resolve your complaint to your satisfaction, you may escalate the matter, or indeed you may choose to write in the first instance, to the Original Holloway Friendly Society Limited, which has its own complaints procedures.
P: The Chief Executive, The Original Holloway Friendly Society Limited, Holloway House, 71 Eastgate Street, Gloucester, GL1 1PW
If the complaint relates to advice received in connection with your policy, it should be referred to the Independent Financial Adviser who provided you with advice when the policy was established as that advice does not fall within our remit or responsibility.
If the complaint relates to the service you have received from Optimal we promise to take the complaint seriously and to ensure that the complaint is thoroughly investigated and responded to in a timely manner.
We aim to resolve your complaint by the end of the business day following receipt, if we are not able to do so we promise to send you a response within 5 business days of receipt of the complaint. A business day is a working day that is not a Bank Holiday or a Saturday or Sunday. That response may be a “Final Response” or may be to advise you that further investigation or analysis work is required before we anticipate being in a position to issue our Final Response.
If, after 4 weeks, we have not been able to issue our “Final Response” we will again write to let you know that our investigations and analysis are continuing. You may, of course, contact Nigel for an update at any time, if you wish.
We aim to provide you with our “Final Response” no later than 8 weeks after the date the complaint has been reached, which is the time limit specified by our regulator, the FCA. If we are not able to issue our “Final Response” to you, we will let you know the reasons for this and give you an indication as to when we expect to be in a position to issue our “Final Response”. At this time, if you wish, you may refer the complaint to the Financial Ombudsman Service (details as below).
If, after receiving our “Final Response” you remain unhappy you can always provide us with additional information that you feel may change the conclusion reached or you can refer your complaint to the Financial Ombudsman Service (FOS). If you intend to refer your complaint to the FOS you must do so within 6 months of receipt of our “Final Response” letter.
FOS can be contacted by:
P: Financial Ombudsman Service, South Quay Plaza, 183 Marsh Wall, London, E14 9SR
T: 0800 023 4567 or 0300 123 9 123. If you are calling from outside the UK please call +44 20 7964 0500.
E: complaint.info@financial-ombudsman.org.uk
W: www.financial-ombudsman.org.uk
We will provide whatever assistance we can to FOS and abide with their final decision. Your right as a customer to take legal action remains unaffected by the existence or use of any complaints procedures referred to above.