Feoh

A company is ignoring your complaint

Silence is usually a process problem rather than a decision. Many companies only treat something as a complaint once it goes through their named complaints route, so a message sitting in general support can stall indefinitely.

The fix is to make the message unmistakable: say the word complaint, ask for it to be logged formally, ask for a complaint reference number, and say what outcome you want and by when. Vague messages get vague handling.

Keep a short log of every attempt: the date, the channel, who you spoke to and what was said. Most escalation routes ask how long the company has had the complaint, so the dates matter more than the wording.

Give this to Feoh

Answer a few questions and Feoh works out the next step, lists the evidence to keep and writes the message for you to send.

Get this complaint moving with Feoh

What to gather first

  • The date you first complained, and how you sent it
  • Dates of every chase since, and the channel used
  • Any reference, case or ticket numbers you were given
  • Copies of what you sent, and any reply however brief
  • What you originally asked them to do, and the amount if money is involved
  • The name of anyone you spoke to on the phone or in a chat

What to do

  1. 1Find their published complaints route. It is usually on a complaints, legal or contact-us page and is often different from the general support address.
  2. 2Send one message that uses the word complaint, asks for it to be logged formally, and asks for a complaint reference number in reply.
  3. 3State the outcome you want in one sentence, with the amount and the order or account number, rather than describing the whole history again.
  4. 4Give a specific date to reply by, put that date in your diary, and chase once on the day with a short message referring back to the original date.
  5. 5If they still will not engage, ask in writing for a final response or a deadlock letter, which is their confirmation that they have finished dealing with the complaint.
  6. 6Depending on the sector, an ombudsman or alternative dispute resolution scheme may be able to review it: Financial Ombudsman Service for banking, insurance and credit, Ofcom-approved schemes for phone and broadband, Energy Ombudsman for gas and electricity. Check whether one covers the company and what its time limits are.
  7. 7If the complaint is about a payment you made by card or credit agreement, ask your card provider or lender separately what protection may apply, as that route runs on its own time limits.
  8. 8Citizens Advice can talk through consumer problems and may be able to point you to the right scheme for your situation.

Questions people ask

How long should I wait before escalating?
Many dispute schemes expect the company to have had a set period, commonly eight weeks for financial complaints, before they will look at a case. Check the specific scheme's rules, because the period and the time limits vary by sector.
What is a final response or deadlock letter?
It is the company's confirmation that it has finished dealing with your complaint. Some dispute schemes ask for it, or for a set period to have passed, before they will accept a case.
Does going public on social media help?
It sometimes gets a faster reply, but keep the written record going as well. Public posts rarely count as evidence for a dispute scheme; the dated written trail does.
They keep replying but never actually resolve anything. Is that being ignored?
For escalation purposes, holding replies that never reach a decision are usually treated much like silence. Ask directly for a final response so you have something a dispute scheme can work from.

Other problems Feoh helps with

Feoh helps you organise and act on everyday admin problems. It isn't a law firm, debt adviser or regulated financial adviser. Nothing is sent to anyone unless you send it yourself.