Links to websites discussing FOS

Links to other web sites and information about FOS issues

Ask FOS a question under the Freedom of Information Act using the "what do they know" website
Follow this link to ask FOS a question under the Freedom of Information Act also view previous questions and answers

Letter to FOS from Geoffery Bloom MEP, highly critical of FOS and adjudicators knowledge
More details

Paul Burstow MP writes to FOS about Adjudicator standards

New articles with suggestions by Antony Speaight QC and Peter Hamilton about how FOS should be reformed
Initial article
More details of the proposals

Interesting article about the FOS entitled "The British Financial Ombudsman Service, Theory vs Reality"

Interesting article about UK Ombudsmen in general "Complaint mismanagement by Ombudsmen"
was published in Barrister magazine

An interesting paper on the FOS "FOS - Unfair and Unreasonable"

What Anthony Speaight QC says about FOS decisions and other matters
"Unappealable, compulsory, summary jurisdiction"

'Money Marketing' article about FOS Adjudicator qualifications
Also comments on FSA staff standards

Jane Sanders also told The Times that adjudicators receive little training, apart from a one-day induction course, and that many are ill-equipped to handle complex cases. (Now subscription only unforunately)

ASA article "FOS - an example of good practice ?"
In 2005 "around 12,000 initial complaints to the FOS were ‘resolved’ before being taken on as cases because relatively junior FOS staff in the Customer Contact Division told the complainant that the offer of redress made by the firm was ‘reasonable’ "
In 2009/10, 760,000 initial cases were handled without reference to an Adjudicator or Ombudsman.

Lawyer Simon Orton explains the difficulty of challenging FOS because they don't have to follow the law
"The Ombudsman is not required to articulate clearly in his decision his reasons for departing from the legal position"

Barrister Peter Hamilton on the qualifications for Natalie Ceeney, the new FOS Chief Executive
"The FOS board seem to think that the person who will have the responsibility to resolve the very largest and highest- profile cases does not need to be a lawyer or even have any legal knowledge"

What the Equitable members Action Group secretary says about FOS

The Times article on "Shoddy Watchdog"

Latest Times article "Wronged consumers demand a better deal from the Ombudsman" (may be available to subscribers only)

The Observer article "Barclays let off lightly"

MoneySavingExpert Martin Lewis (forum on FOS matters)

Consumer Action Group (forum on FOS matters)

Legal Beagles forum on PPI (mentions some FOS matters)

An actuary's view of FOS

Wikipedia entry on the FOS
Out of date

Biography of Natalie Ceeney, New Chief Ombudsman
Very interesting, but stops some time ago unforunately

Video of Natalie Ceeney introducing FOS on Youtube

Link to Debretts brief biography of Natalie Ceeney
More detailed info if you join Debrett's

Lord Hunt's review of the FOS in full 2008

Professor Kempson's review of FOS 2004