MJ Hudson Fiduciaries Limited complaints handling procedure

MJHFL implements the Model Procedure for complaint-handling published by the Channel Islands Financial Ombudsman’s (“CIFO”), and aims to resolve any complaints at the earliest opportunity.

Complaints should be acknowledged within 5 business days and a final response, offering any appropriate remedy or redress, be given generally within 8 weeks of receiving the complaint or in any event within 3 months. The final response will accept the complaint and offer any appropriate redress or remedy, offer redress and/or remedy without accepting the complaint, or reject the complaint and give clear reasons for doing so. On agreement with a complainant we will ensure the matter is settled as soon as possible.

We aim to investigate and assess any complaints competently, diligently, impartially, fairly, consistently and promptly, obtaining further information where necessary, assessing whether any complaint should be upheld and, if so, what redress is appropriate. As far as possible any complaints are assessed by a Director not involved in the matters leading up to the complaint. In assessing complaints we will take account of applicable laws, regulatory rules and guidance, good industry practice and any published CIFO guidance. We will inform complainants that we will notify the Guernsey Financial Services commission of any complaints which are either significant or remain unresolved for longer than 3 months.

We communicate in plain English and in a way which is fair, clear and not misleading. We will explain the compaints handling process to complainants, keep them informed of progress and advise them when a complaint is considered closed.

We will not engage in any of the following conduct identified by CIFO as inconsistent with good complaints handling:

• Misleading a complainant about his or her right to refer a complaint to CIFO
• Purporting (by contract or otherwise) to exclude a complainant’s right to refer a complaint to CIFO
• Making a settlement offer conditional on a complainant’s not referring the complaint to CIFO
• Classifying a complaint as merely a service quality issue to avoid the need to follow our complaint-handling policy or procedures
• Proposing to charge a complainant for copies of documents to which a complainant is entitled and which he or she needs to support a complaint, or unreasonably delaying providing such documents
• Attempting to divert a complainant to alternative means of complaint resolution without first informing him or her of the right to refer the complaint to CIFO, or
• Providing an opinion to a complainant about whether a complaint falls, or is likely to fall, within the mandate of CIFO.