"Consumer Complaints and Compensation: A Guide to the Financial Services Market" City & Financial

"Recently, I had cause to research the area of execution-only, a minefield if ever there was one. One excellent source of inform-ation was Adam Samuel's book - Consumer Comp-laints and Compensation. Read this and execution-only becomes a nightmare and only for the brave or the foolish… The tautology deployed in our sector is not something any of us should overlook for long. If you doubt me buy Adam's book - www. adamsamuel.com. You will not regret it."
Robert Reid, Money Marketing 16 February 2006


"I am enjoying your book, it's a more
interesting read than the new Harry Potter."
Jeff Dorricott


"Mr Samuel has done a great service to the financial services
industry and to consumers in his masterly coverage of an
important but complicated subject."
Arthur Harverd, 72 Arbitration 396 at p. 397


Download A FREE Sample | Buy The Book


This is the first ever book on consumer financial services complaint handling in the UK. At a time, when the Financial Ombudsman's Service's caseload remains stubbornly at over 110,000 cases a year and FSA has taken disciplinary action against 12 firms or individuals for complaint handling breaches, this is the only book out there on the subject.

After the November 2007 changes to the Complaint rules, the book will be supported by a free e-book update in pdf form to take account of the new developments.

Any book on complaints has to look at how to avoid client dissatisfaction and the compliance and legal rules governing how firms treat their customers.

The first two chapters set the stage. The book starts with a discussion of the role played by consumer complaints and the way in which they are handled. The challenge is to make the team dealing with dissatisfied customers the conscience of the company, a major source of corporate information and a principal weapon in the customer retention process. Who should handle customers and how is all part of the introduction. Then, we look at the standards to be observed when dealing with complaints. The odd relationship between notions of reasonableness and law receives a serious look.

Chapters 3 to 8 are the compliance chapters. They look at the rules advisers have to observe or had to in the past. Special chapters on endowments, pensions and savings and investments complement the general sections on deciding whether to uphold a complaint, "defenses" and administration complaints.

The second major part of the book, Chapters 9-14, looks at the difficult area of compensation. Again, general chapters on sales and administration cases are backed up by major chapters on pensions and endowments.

Finally, the book turns to the complaints process. Identification, acknowledgement, investigation, final responses are all examined in turn. There is a detailed discussion of both the rules and how to apply them in practice. Finally, a major chapter on the Financial Ombudsman Service looks at its jurisdiction, including time-limits, how it operates, its powers and the limited scope for challenging it. Even the European Convention on Human Rights is discussed.
  1. Introduction - Developing the Complaints Culture
  2. The Rules to be Applied

  3. Sales Complaints - Deciding whether the firm is liable
  4. Mortgage endowment Sales - Deciding whether the firm is liable
  5. Pension Sales - Deciding whether the firm is liable
  6. Savings, Investments and Whole of Life policies - Deciding whether the firm is liable
  7. Avoiding liability
  8. Administration and other Service Complaints: Deciding whether the firm is liable

  9. Compensation - The Basic Principles
  10. Compensation for Mortgage Endowment Misselling
  11. Compensation for Pension Misselling, Part One
  12. Compensation for Pension Misselling, Part Two - Practical Applications
  13. Compensation for Administration Complaints
  14. Claims - Life and General Insurance

  15. The Scope of the FSA Complaint Rules (DISP)
  16. The Complaints Procedure
  17. Identifying complaints
  18. Acknowledgement
  19. Investigating complaints
  20. The Final Response
  21. Closing the Case
  22. The Financial Ombudsman Service
  23. Disciplinary Action and Other Dispute Resolution Options
Buying Instructions (UK)
Click the "Buy Now" button to order - it's Just £64 (including postage)

You'll then be taken to a secure, PayPal, payment page. Complete the forms and follow their instructions to make your payment. I will then post you a copy within 24 hours and email you to let you know.

Buying Instructions (International)
If you would like the book delivered to a non-UK address
then email me for instructions.

Bulk Orders & Alternative Payment
If you would like to order multiple copies of my book email me here...

If you would prefer to pay by cheque instead then email me here...

Alternatively for all enquiries call me on 0207 323 9171

£64 inc. Postage (UK)

close window
Tel: 0207 323 9171 - Mobile: 07900 248150 - Fax: 0207 323 9171 - E-Mail: AdamSamuel@aol.com
Adam Samuel, 4A Candover Street, London W1W 7DJ
© Copyright 2005-2007 Adam Samuel
Consumer Complaints and Compensation: A Guide to the Financial Services Market - City & Financial
"Consumer Complaints and Compensation: A Guide to the Financial Services Market" City & Financial

"Recently, I had cause to research the area of execution-only, a minefield if ever there was one. One excellent source of inform-ation was Adam Samuel's book - Consumer Comp-laints and Compensation. Read this and execution-only becomes a nightmare and only for the brave or the foolish… The tautology deployed in our sector is not something any of us should overlook for long. If you doubt me buy Adam's book - www. adamsamuel.com. You will not regret it."
Robert Reid, Money Marketing 16 February 2006


"I am enjoying your book, it's a more
interesting read than the new Harry Potter."
Jeff Dorricott


"Mr Samuel has done a great service to the financial services
industry and to consumers in his masterly coverage of an
important but complicated subject."
Arthur Harverd, 72 Arbitration 396 at p. 397


Download A FREE Sample | Buy The Book


This is the first ever book on consumer financial services complaint handling in the UK. At a time, when the Financial Ombudsman's Service's caseload remains stubbornly at over 110,000 cases a year and FSA has taken disciplinary action against 12 firms or individuals for complaint handling breaches, this is the only book out there on the subject.

After the November 2007 changes to the Complaint rules, the book will be supported by a free e-book update in pdf form to take account of the new developments.

Any book on complaints has to look at how to avoid client dissatisfaction and the compliance and legal rules governing how firms treat their customers.

The first two chapters set the stage. The book starts with a discussion of the role played by consumer complaints and the way in which they are handled. The challenge is to make the team dealing with dissatisfied customers the conscience of the company, a major source of corporate information and a principal weapon in the customer retention process. Who should handle customers and how is all part of the introduction. Then, we look at the standards to be observed when dealing with complaints. The odd relationship between notions of reasonableness and law receives a serious look.

Chapters 3 to 8 are the compliance chapters. They look at the rules advisers have to observe or had to in the past. Special chapters on endowments, pensions and savings and investments complement the general sections on deciding whether to uphold a complaint, "defenses" and administration complaints.

The second major part of the book, Chapters 9-14, looks at the difficult area of compensation. Again, general chapters on sales and administration cases are backed up by major chapters on pensions and endowments.

Finally, the book turns to the complaints process. Identification, acknowledgement, investigation, final responses are all examined in turn. There is a detailed discussion of both the rules and how to apply them in practice. Finally, a major chapter on the Financial Ombudsman Service looks at its jurisdiction, including time-limits, how it operates, its powers and the limited scope for challenging it. Even the European Convention on Human Rights is discussed.
  1. Introduction - Developing the Complaints Culture
  2. The Rules to be Applied

  3. Sales Complaints - Deciding whether the firm is liable
  4. Mortgage endowment Sales - Deciding whether the firm is liable
  5. Pension Sales - Deciding whether the firm is liable
  6. Savings, Investments and Whole of Life policies - Deciding whether the firm is liable
  7. Avoiding liability
  8. Administration and other Service Complaints: Deciding whether the firm is liable

  9. Compensation - The Basic Principles
  10. Compensation for Mortgage Endowment Misselling
  11. Compensation for Pension Misselling, Part One
  12. Compensation for Pension Misselling, Part Two - Practical Applications
  13. Compensation for Administration Complaints
  14. Claims - Life and General Insurance

  15. The Scope of the FSA Complaint Rules (DISP)
  16. The Complaints Procedure
  17. Identifying complaints
  18. Acknowledgement
  19. Investigating complaints
  20. The Final Response
  21. Closing the Case
  22. The Financial Ombudsman Service
  23. Disciplinary Action and Other Dispute Resolution Options
Buying Instructions (UK)
Click the "Buy Now" button to order - it's Just £64 (including postage)

You'll then be taken to a secure, PayPal, payment page. Complete the forms and follow their instructions to make your payment. I will then post you a copy within 24 hours and email you to let you know.

Buying Instructions (International)
If you would like the book delivered to a non-UK address
then email me for instructions.

Bulk Orders & Alternative Payment
If you would like to order multiple copies of my book email me here...

If you would prefer to pay by cheque instead then email me here...

Alternatively for all enquiries call me on 0207 323 9171

£64 inc. Postage (UK)

close window
Tel: 0207 323 9171 - Mobile: 07900 248150 - Fax: 0207 323 9171 - E-Mail: AdamSamuel@aol.com
Adam Samuel, 4A Candover Street, London W1W 7DJ
© Copyright 2005-2007 Adam Samuel