Internal Complaints Procedure

The Society is a member of the Financial Ombudsman Service's scheme. Although the Society is committed to providing you with a first class service, we recognise that there may be an occasion when you feel we may not have done this and you wish to make a complaint.

We will always try to resolve any complaint speedily and at the earliest possible stage. The person dealing with your complaint will be authorised by the Society to settle your complaint and will explain the Society's position in plain language.

The purpose of this page is to set out our procedures and time scale if you wish to make a complaint.

• Complaints regarding levels of branch service should be made either by telephoning or writing to the Senior Cashier at the branch where the complaint is directed, or alternatively to the Branches Controller at Head Office.
  
• Complaints regarding levels of mortgage service or associated procedures should be made either by telephoning or writing to the Mortgage Manager at Head Office.
  
• Any other complaints should be addressed to the Compliance Department at Head Office.
  
• The Society may require you to attend an interview to clarify any points raised.
  
• We will try to resolve all our complaints by the close of business on the business day following receipt of the complaint.
  
• If this is not possible, we will send a written acknowledgement of your complaint within five days of its receipt, giving the name or job title of the person handling the complaint together with details of the Society's Internal Complaints Procedure.
  
• If we are able to resolve the complaint within five days, we will send you our final response.
  
• If we are unable to resolve the complaint within five days, we will send you within four weeks either a final response or a letter, which will explain why we are not yet in a position to resolve the complaint. This will also indicate when we expect to be able to provide you with our final response. This will be within eight weeks of receipt of the complaint.
  
• By the end of eight weeks, we will send you our final response. If we are unable at this stage to give you our final response, we will give the reasons for the further delay and indicate when we expect to be able to make the final response. At this stage you can refer the complaint to the Financial Ombudsman Service if you are dissatisfied with the delay in answering the complaint. You will also be sent a copy of the Financial Ombudsman Service's explanatory leaflet. 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 the Society sends the final response, if you are dissatisfied, you can refer the complaint to the Financial Ombudsman Service as long as this is done within six months from the date you receive our final response. You will also be sent a copy of the Financial Ombudsman Service's explanatory leaflet.
  

IT IS OUR AIM TO ENSURE THAT ALL COMPLAINTS ARE DEALT WITH SPEEDILY AND AT THE EARLIEST STAGE TO OUR MUTUAL SATISFACTION.