Introduction

The purpose of this note is to give you some background information about how we handle any complaints about the service we provide to you.

Receiving a complaint

All of our staff receive ongoing training to help ensure that they do their job properly and effectively.  They also receive guidance on how to identify a complaint from a client.  We are committed to handling any complaints we receive fairly, consistently and promptly.

When we receive a complaint, it is immediately notified to either our Compliance Officer, or the Managing Director of the company.  He will look into your complaint and try to obtain as much information about what has happened as soon as possible.  In any event, we will acknowledge your complaint promptly, and then keep you up-to-date with our progress with it.

Responding to your complaint

Before we reply to you about your complaint, we will ensure that it is looked into by somebody here who:

• Is competent to look into the matter you have complained about;
• Is impartial;
• Is in a position of authority to settle the complaint; and
• Will address the subject of your complaint adequately and, where the complaint is upheld, will offer appropriate redress.

The next step

We will keep you up-to-date with our progress with your complaint and do our utmost to resolve it as speedily as possible.  We will try and provide you with a final response to your complaint within eight weeks of its receipt.  If we are not in a position to provide you with a final response we will explain to you why we cannot provide it and advise you when it will be sent.    If you are still unhappy about the way in which we have handled your complaint, you may refer it to the Financial Ombudsman Service, with whom we will cooperate fully in the handling of the complaint.  You must do this within six months of the despatch of our final response to you.  At the time of our final response, we will also send you a copy of the Financial Ombudsman Service’s explanatory leaflet.  This will also be provided to you within eight weeks of our receipt of your complaint if we are unable to provide you with the final response within the eight-week timeframe.

 2008