What counts as a final response, and what to do with a no

Is this actually a final response?

• It says it is their final response — those words, or “summary resolution communication”
• It gives their decision and the reasons for it
• It tells you that you can take the complaint to the ombudsman, by name
• It gives you the time limit for doing so

Miss any of these and the letter may not qualify. That works in your favour: if the six-month window was never properly started, it is much harder for anyone to hold you to it. Ask, in writing:

“Is this your final response for the purposes of referring my complaint to the ombudsman? If so, please confirm the date my referral period runs from.”

The short version they’re allowed to send. If a financial firm resolves your complaint to your satisfaction within three business days, it can send a shorter “summary resolution communication” instead of a full final response. It still has to tell you about the ombudsman, and you still keep your right to refer — “resolved” is their word for it, not necessarily yours.

The three shapes of no

1. A flat rejection

   They say nothing went wrong. Your move is the ombudsman, and their letter should have told you so.

2. An offer without admission

   “As a gesture of goodwill…” — money offered while denying fault. The offer is real even if the reasoning is fog; treat it on its numbers, not its tone.

3. A partial uphold

   They accept some of it and offer less than you asked. This is the one where people give up — the gap between their number and yours is exactly what the ombudsman exists to decide.

One warning that outranks the rest: anything described as “in full and final settlement” means what it says. Accept it and the ombudsman will usually treat the complaint as closed. Never sign that phrase while you’re still deciding.

What does their refusal have to show?

Read the reasons like a marker, not a recipient. A refusal that says “our records show the correct process was followed” has asserted something, not shown it. The questions to put back, in writing, are narrow ones: which records, what process, what exactly was I told and when?

Generic refusals collapse under specific questions. In the scam decisions we’ve read, banks that refused on “you ignored our warnings” frequently could not produce the warning when asked.

Ask for the file

You have a legal right to the records — it’s called a subject access request, it’s free, and they get one calendar month.

“Please treat this as a subject access request under the UK GDPR. I want copies of all records relating to my account and this complaint, including call recordings, system notes, and the notes of your investigation.”

Do this the moment a refusal smells thin. Call recordings and internal notes are where refusals fall apart, and firms know reviewers at the ombudsman will ask for the same file. The regulator’s guide to making one is at ico.org.uk.

Should you take the offer?

Arithmetic, not pride. Add up your actual loss, the knock-on costs, and something honest for the hassle. If their offer covers that, taking it is winning — the ombudsman route costs months even when it goes well. If it doesn’t, escalate: the referral is free, the ombudsman can award your loss plus 8% interest on money you were kept out of, and a pending offer doesn’t vanish because you referred.

What you shouldn’t do is accept a low offer because the letter felt final. That feeling is the letter doing its job.

What if the no came on the phone?

Then you haven’t had a final response and your clock hasn’t started. Ask for it in writing — every time, without exception. A phone no is a conversation; a written no is a document with a date on it, and the date is what everything else hangs from. It’s the single most repeated trick in how complaining works, because it’s the one that costs people most.

Your deadlines now

Common questions

The letter doesn’t mention the ombudsman. Does the six months still apply?

For financial complaints, the six-month time bar generally only bites if the final response properly told you about your referral right and the time limit. If it didn’t, say so when you refer — a defective final response is a weak foundation for a time-bar argument.

Can I still go to the ombudsman after accepting their offer?

If you accepted it in full and final settlement, usually not — that’s the point of the phrase. If you’re unsure whether to accept, you can ask the ombudsman service where you stand before signing anything.

They offered money but rejected my complaint. Isn’t that contradictory?

It’s routine. Firms offer “goodwill” payments precisely to resolve things without admitting fault. Judge the number against your loss; ignore the framing around it.

Sources: FCA Handbook DISP 1.6 (final responses and summary resolution communications); FCA Handbook DISP 2.8.2R (referral window); UK GDPR right of access via the ICO; scheme deadlines as linked from how complaining works.