The repayments on many loans and car finance are too high to be manageable so people get deeper into debt trying to repay them.
When you applied, a lender should have checked a loan would be affordable for you – often they did not check properly and you should never have been given this loan.
This article describes how to complain, with a template to use. Many people have won complaints using this. If you win, you will get the interest refunded in cash. If you still owe a balance, the interest is removed so you only have to repay what you borrowed.
These complaints do not hurt your credit record if you carry on making the loan repayments while the complaint goes through.
Contents
A quick overview
What types of loans?
- this includes high cost, bad credit lenders, bank loans, and credit union loans;
- you can complain if you are still paying the loans, it has already been repaid, it has defaulted, or you have a payment arrangement/DMP;
- a consolidation loan may have been cheaper than the credit cards it cleared – but it could still have been unaffordable for you!
- you can also use this approach for car finance. But if you are still paying car finance, you may have a better option than an affordability complaint, so read HP/PCP car finance problems first. And then read Car finance affordability – what you get if you win a complaint
- if you have a guarantor loan, read Refunds from guarantor loans as it’s different and the guarantor may be able to complain as well;
- the complaints here do not apply to mortgages.
What is “unaffordable”?
The regulator says “affordable” means:
you can make the repayments without hardship or having to borrow elsewhere.
This isn’t just for “bad credit” loans – you can win a complaint about a loan from a major bank. But as bad credit loans have very high interest rates, they are more often unaffordable.
For large loans, a lender should have made adequate checks at the start. The larger your loan, the worse your credit score and the more other debt you had, the closer a lender should look.
If your loan was fine at the beginning and only caused problems later when you lost your job or your mortgage repayments went up, you are unlikely to win an affordability complaint as this could not have been predicted at the start.
How does this work?
You first make a complaint to the lender saying the loan was unaffordable and ask for a refund of the interest.
There is a template here you can adapt to say what happened to you. Send it by email.
The lender has up to 8 weeks to reply. Lenders reject many good complaints, so you can send a rejection to the Financial Ombudsman.
Complain to the lender
Email addresses for lenders
If your loan has been sold to a debt collector, send your complaint to the original lender not the debt collector.
It’s easiest if all communications are by email – free, instant and you have a copy with a date stamp to show the ombudsman.
For banks, see this list here: email complaint addresses for banks.
For car finance and logbook loans, see this list: email address for car finance lenders
Here are the email addresses for some non-bank lenders. There are a lot of other smaller lenders, including many Credit Unions. If your lender is not listed, ask in the comment below for an email address.
Abound (used to be Fintern) complaints@getabound.com
Admiral loansquality@admiralgroup.co.uk
Anico complaints@anicofinancialservices.com
Avant Credit emailcomplaints@avantcredit.co.uk
Bamboo Loans complaints@bambooloans.com
Better Borrow enquiries@chetwood.co
Creation customercare@creation.co.uk
Everyday Loans – for loans after 31 March 2021 complain to complaints@everyday-loans.co.uk using the template in this article. It is no longer possible to make complaints about loans before that date
Fair Finance complaints@fairfinance.org.uk
Finio Loans (rebrand of Likely Loans) complaints@oakbrookfinance.com
Fluro (used to be Lending Works) cx@fluro.co.uk
Koyo loans info@koyoloans.com
Lendable complaint@lendable.co.uk
Lifestyle Loans info@lifestyleloans.co.uk
Likely Loans – see Finio
LiveLend support@livelend.co
Loans by Mal (Monthly Advance Loans) Complaints@loansbymal.co.uk
Loans 2 Go read Loans2Go – how to complain
MBNA mbnaonlinecomplaints@mbna.co.uk
Moneyline headoffice@moneyline-uk.com
My Community Bank complaints@mycommunitybank.co.uk
Novuna (used to be called Hitachi) ComplaintsTeam@NovunaPersonalFinance.co.uk
Plata complaints@plata.com
Plend complaints@plend.co.uk
Progressive Money complaints@progressivemoney.co.uk
Quick Loans customerscare@quickloans.co.uk
Reevo complaints@reevomoney.com
Salary Finance (Neyber) complaints@salaryfinance.com (for loans, not “pay advance”)
Savvy info@savvy.co.uk
Shawbrook Customercare.team@shawbrook.co.uk
Snap Finance customer@snapfinance.co.uk
Tandem pl@tandem.co.uk
TM Advances info@tmadvances.co.uk
Updraft complaints@updraft.com
Vanquis customer.relations@vanquisbank.co.uk
Zopa complaints@zopa.com
118 118 Money complaints@118118money.com
Use this template
Email the lender to begin your complaint. Put AFFORDABILITY COMPLAINT as the subject of your email.
Template for you to adapt:
Please confirm the date this loan started, the amount, the interest rate and the monthly repayments. [don’t include this if you already know the information]
I am asking for a refund of the interest and any charges I paid, plus statutory interest, and to delete any negative information from my credit record. [the refunds for car finance can be a lot more complicated than this, see but this is all you need to put in your complaint]
I also want the CCJ that I have for this debt set aside. [delete this sentence if you don’t have a CCJ!]
I attach copies of my bank statements and credit report from the time I applied for this loan/these loans. [delete if you don’t yet have them yet, but they help your case if you do. Even if they show gambling, that supports your argument the loan was unaffordable.]
I didn’t know that the lender was supposed to check that I could repay the loan without having to borrow more. I only found out in [2024] when I saw a newspaper article in the Sun/an advert on Facebook for refunds/a friend said they had made a complaint/whatever. So I am complaining within 3 years of having found out that I have cause to complain. [only put this paragraph if some of your loans are more than 6 years old. It explains why you haven’t complained before. It’s only an example so change it so it really covers what happened to you!]
Add extra information if you want – see below for some ideas – you don’t have to do this.
Do you need a payment arrangement now?
If you want an affordable payment arrangement now, add a sentence to the complaint saying this. These complaints may take months to sort out – a payment arrangement can get your finances into a safe place:
- a payment arrangement shows on your credit record, but if you win the complaint all negative marks will be deleted
- talk to a debt adviser such as National Debtline if you want to know more about payment arrangements
- but don’t risk a payment arrangement for car finance or a logbook loan – one would put your car at risk.
Other details to add if you want
The template above is fine, you don’t have to add a lot more details.
But you can add extra points if they apply in your case, for example
- my bank statements and credit record (attached) show that I was unable to afford the loan repayments.
- this was a large loan, you knew I had poor credit and may have been in a difficult position so you should have tried to verify my income and expenses. If you had done this, you would have rejected my application.
- during a telephone call, your agent suggested some figures should be lower to get my application accepted.
- if the lender was your bank – you should have seen from my bank account that I was in financial difficulty, I was using my overdraft a lot, I was only making minimum payments to my credit card from you.
And some examples of points about top-ups:
- a credit check would have shown that my finances had got worse since the first loan
- I had said the first loan was to consolidate debt, but you should have seen that this hadn’t happened.
While you are waiting for a reply
Try to get copies of your bank statements from 3 months before a loan to three months afterwards. You can get statements from closed bank accounts, normally going back 6 years.
Also get a statutory credit report now and download it. You can get one from TransUnion. Do this as soon as possible as sometimes the details change, so you want a full one saved to show the Ombudsman later if necessary.
Do not wait until the Ombudsman asks you for credit records or bank statements – you want them ready to hand. They really help your case as they prove your financial situation when you took the loan out.
You should get a response from the lender within 8 weeks. If you don’t, phone them up and ask when you will get it – a couple of days is worth waiting for but many responses are rejections, so don’t wait weeks for one, go to the Ombudsman straight away.
Go to the Ombudsman if you don’t get a good offer
Don’t be put off by a rejection! Or if the lender said it was your fault because your loan application wasn’t accurate – the lender should have made checks.
Sometimes a lender will send a long, complicated reply designed to make you look as though you should give up. If they say the loan was over 6 years ago, see below for “time limits”.
I suggest you rely on your instinct – if repaying the loan caused you a lot of problems then send it to be looked at by the Ombudsman.
If you aren’t sure, ask in the Comments below this article. You only have 6 months to send the complaint to FOS, so it’s best to do this as soon as possible.
It isn’t usually worth trying to negotiate with these lenders, you are just wasting your time.
Send to Financial Ombudsman Service (FOS)
It’s easy! Use the “do it online” option to send a complaint to the Ombudsman. It asks you for all the details they need.
The main part of your complaint can be a version of what you sent the lender in your complaint. Add any more details you want, including pointing out mistakes in the lender’s reply. Also attach:
- the reply from the lender
- Trans Union statutory credit record
- bank statements starting 3 months before first loan
- do not worry if you don’t have A copy of your credit or finance agreement – lots of people don’t. The lender will supply a copy to FOS if FOS asks for it. Don’t delay sending a complaint to FOS while you try to get this from the lender.
Other information that may help your case
Don’t delay sending a case to the Ombudsman while waiting for this information.
If you don’t have the bank statements from the time of the loan application, get them now. You can get these going back at least 6 years even from closed accounts. And you can often go back a lot further with an account that you are still using.
This is a good point to ask the lender for a Subject Access Request (SAR) if you are missing information that may come in useful at the Ombudsman. This could be your loan applications, all credit and other affordability checks and assessments, and a statement of account for the loans, and – if you think this will help – a record of all phone calls.
Your lender will have details of how to ask for this information on their website – it’s often included in their Privacy Policy, with a link at the bottom of web pages.
“Is there a time limit?”
You can’t complain about a loan that started before April 2007 – that is when the law changed to allow these complaints.
Lenders will often reject a complaint if the loan started more than 6 years ago.
But the Ombudsman can look at a complaint about older loans where you complained within 3 years of finding out you have a “cause to complain”. So if you have only just heard that a lender should have checked the affordability, you can take your complaint to the Ombudsman if the lender rejects it as too old.
The Ombudsman also has a 6 month rule. You must send a complaint to the Ombudsman within 6 months of getting a reply from a lender. So don’t delay!
Need some help?
Don’t use a claims management company. They are expensive and often incompetent and use a similar template to the one in this article.
Instead ask a question in the comments below.
Can you get an overdraft refund?
Refunds from cards and catalogues
Get a car finance commission refund?
Samara says
Is there an email for the loan company lendable?
Sara (Debt Camel) says
in the list in the article above these comments
Chloe Robinson says
Hi. I got a loan in 2016 from IKANO loans. I was only 19 at the time and they gave me £8000 which I struggled paying back, was in an overdraft and was also only contracted 17 hours in work. Am I able to complain about this? I’m not sure the loan company are even still in business
Many thanks
Sara (Debt Camel) says
yes they are. Email complaints@ikano.net
Claire says
I put affordability claim jn bank loan for 7500 the FoS have said that JN Bank carried out a credit file check which showed you had no defaults on existing lending, no overdrafts, and a good credit score. Although it did show seven active accounts, the check showed they were well managed. Then said I had enough disposable income.
I feel I had lots of credit in March I was in my OD only because a family member given me £3k I paid credit card off living of the rest of it
Is it worth sending my bank statements in and my credit report to the FOS to look further
Sara (Debt Camel) says
yes send more information, point out this was a large loan and that you had a lot of other debts.
Aliyah says
Hi I’m really sad and distressed because I made a terrible decision of getting a loan with loans 2 go I got a loan for £650 and they are telling me to pay £2400 back I wish I was this thread before I didn’t I went to the ombudsman I just sent them my emails between myself and loan a 2 go I didn’t send my bank statements they didn’t uphold my complaint so they closed my case !! This was a week ago I don’t know want to do I can’t afford this at all this has caused me great stress and anxiety can anyone give me advice please don’t tell me off for getting a loan because I know this is the worst thing I’ve done and I’m beating myself up for it every day
Sara (Debt Camel) says
did the Ombudsman not ask for bank statements? they usually do
N says
Hello,
I won an affordability complaint against Zopa on the 8th October but they needed to buy the debt back in order to provide a figure. I’ve chased for an update and timeline as it has been 3 weeks but they’ve said they are waiting for the debt purchaser to send the debt back and they don’t have a timeframe.
What is a reasonable amount of time to wait before escalating?
Thanks!
Sara (Debt Camel) says
Did Zopa uphold your complaint or did it have to go back to the Ombudsman?
N says
Hello,
Yes Zopa upheld the complaint but the debt was sold to debt agency. Zopa are saying before they can provide a settlement/compensation they need to purchase the debt back.
The complaint was upheld 4 weeks ago tomorrow, I’ve chased for a timeframe but Zopa have come back to say they don’t have a time frame as they are still waiting for the debt to be sent back to them.
Sara (Debt Camel) says
ok well I would give them a another month, these things do take time. If it isn’t sorted then tell them you are going to the Ombudsman as they haven’t provided you with the redress they have offered.
Marie says
Hi, do you have an email for Sunny loans please.
Sara (Debt Camel) says
the old payday lender of that name went under several years ago. Sunny loans at the moment are a broker not a lender?
Steve says
Hi Sarah
So I had 2 loans with Bamboo the first in 2019 for £1,000 it was rolled over by a £1,500 in January 2020 they sent me an FRL on Monday saying no we don’t upload your loan and offered my £150 to settle I said no thanks and I will be taking it to the FOS. Today they sent back they had looked at my bank statements and due to the prolific gambling they will refund the interest I paid £845.67 they did not offer any 8% which I found a bit odd.
But in a good financial position these days so thought it was a decent offer and took did not think it was worth the risk of trying to get the extra £60 odd quid from the FOS and they say I should receive the refund in 5 working days so very pleased with the result I think a few people have commented on their tactics or trying £150 then sometimes £450.
Have you even known an uphold not to include the 8% all my other previous refunds have had but these where 2 of my smaller loans for loan 2 then only included the fresh balance and not the money used to pay off loan 1 I have seen that done before when I worked in PPI and don’t think there is much you can do.
Sara (Debt Camel) says
These lenders try it on… if you have accepted and been paid, move on with your life
Steve says
Yeah these days I have savings and ISAs plus my shares through work thought it was a decent offer would if taken £500 if offered so a result. Will help pay for Christmas.
Natalie says
I have affordability complaints on loads, credit cards and overdrafts with all the big bank. This was around 18 months ago. I’m now in a much better financial position and looking to get a mortgage who can apply to? Is there anyone left if I rule out all the ones I’ve had complaints with?
I’ve had complaints with; Lloyds overdraft and credit card, Santander overdraft/credit card and load, RBS, NATWEST overdrafts, Virgin credit card Vanquis, and Aqua.
Am I likely to be accepted by Co-op or nationwide considered I’ve upset most of the other big companies?
Whats the best thing to do in this position?
Sara (Debt Camel) says
From the list of 10 largest lenders in 2023 you haven’t mentioned Barclays, HSBC and three Building Societies: Yorkshire, Coventry and Skipton. So there are plenty of lenders out there… best advice is to talk to a mortgage broker.
Syed says
Im looking for email address of The Money Platform.
Sara (Debt Camel) says
its on my list for payday lenders: https://debtcamel.co.uk/payday-lender-email-addresses/
Steven says
So I put in a claim with Natwest they are my main bank . Which they rejected
I had a single loan of £1500 during which I had various pay day loans and other loans credit card activity and heavy gambling.
Then an £8000 loan which was rolled over with £12,150 loan I had card debt heavy gambling. 2 other large loans with Hitachi which became Novuna who refunded me on the £3000 and £7000 loans I had with them. Natwest also upheld a credit card affordability claim during the the 2 large loans.
So I sent them bank statements, uphold letters and my credit report again. Some months there was over 10 times my salary going in and out my account.
How long do you think would be reasonable to assess the extra information and is likely to add an extra weight to my claim or I am just better off going to the Fos now?
I feel the bank statements clearly show they never should of leant to me and it worsened my financial position and took me years to recover?
Sara (Debt Camel) says
What dates were the loan and the extension?
Steven says
My first loan was in 2017. The 8000 loan was in 2021 and the 12150 began in in January 2022. I have been paying extra on that so there is about a year left to pay off on it as been paying double each month. Then more when I can.
Natwest did my original investigation so quickly I don’t think they looked at any of the evidence I sent in initially.
They obviously did not checked linked complaints like we do for the bank I work for.
Sara (Debt Camel) says
so you are easily with the 6 year period.
If you have sent them the details now, I suggest you say if they do not revise their decision within a month you will send it to FOS.
Steven says
Thanks Sarah.
Adam says
I made an irresponsible lending complaint for a loan with Sainsbury’s Bank which has been accepted and they have refunded me £5,100 interest.
At the time of taking out the loan, I had a decent salary, however I was heavily utilising my overdraft already which was proven by statements I provided. My complaint emphasised this point and the fact that monthly payments for the loan worsened my financial situation.
I also received a refund of £5,200 for my overdraft all thanks to debt camel. Both refunds are life changing for me!
Dan says
Hi – I’ve been making a number of unaffordable lending complaints, and all but one have been rejected by the lender so I’ve taken them to FOS. The one which was upheld quite speedily was on two large-ish loans with Zopa. I had similarly sized loans from Bamboo within a couple of months of the Zopa loans.
This gives me some confidence that the FOS may find in my favour. However, it seems to be taking months just to be allocated a case handler. I referred to the Ombudsman in early August and all I’ve had are emails apologising for delays.
Bamboo initially offered me £300 (despite rejecting my complaint). I was considering contacting them and telling them I’d accept just the refunded interest on the second of the two loans (£1800 rather than £3500 total). I could do with the money now rather than in several months, by which time I’ll have had a salary increase.
Is that an approach a lender would entertain or not even worth trying? (Aside from the fact I’d be potentially losing out as a result of my impatience).
Thanks!
Sara (Debt Camel) says
I can’t guess what Bamboo will say – many lenders will say they can only deal with FOS.
Are you still paying this second loan? Is your urgent problem at the moment caused by the debt repayments?
Steve says
Hi Dan
I don’t know what your complaint was based on with Bamboo but they recently offered me £150 upfront. I then sent additional evidence and said I was going to the Fos and they then agreed to refund all the interest on my 2 loans.
They agreed to mine as has other large loans credit card debt and gambling.
Smaller than yours £848.75 I agreed and the money was in my account 2 days later.
Cheers
Steve
Steve says
Has any one had any dealings with Vanquis I complained about 5 different companies on the 15.10.2024.
Bamboo upheld
MBNA still investigating
NatWest & Zopa rejects but gone back with more information.
Literally had nothing at from Vanquis not even an email or acknowledgement of any kind?
Thanks
Steve
Sara (Debt Camel) says
Ask them to confirm they have your complaint
Lloyd says
Hi I’m really struggling to get on top of finances at the moment. I entered DMP a few years ago and finished it last year. I have 2 defaults that won’t drop off my credit file until March 25. I have myself to blame as I’ve up ended getting more credit over the past few years and as my score has been poor I’ve only been able to get expensive cards and loans. Most recently I’m literally paying the minimum payments on 5 cards each month that are all close to limits. I have loans with bamboo and finio that have another 8 payments left on bamboo and 21 left on finio, I have car finance with startline through car fiancé 24/7 2 years into 5 year deal and recently have had short term loans with quidmarket loans and the money platform loans. I’m having to take a new loan out each month to live. I earn a good wage but am up to my limits each month. I have no missed payments for past 4 years on anything but credit score is really low. I’m hoping score will improve when final defaults drop off next year but trying to wok out what to do. Should I try to get refunds from any of these loan providers. I don’t want more defaults going on and feel I could get back on track once short term loans are cleared so hoping to avoid another DMP.
Sara (Debt Camel) says
how large are your total debts? what are the minimum payments a month?
how many times have you borrowed from quidmarket? from money platform?
Lloyd says
Hi again
Bamboo – £182pm 8 payments left ( £4500 over 3 years)
Finio – £203 pm 21 payments left (£4500 over 3 years)
Oakbook no loan currently but had 3 loans this year (£400 in April paid back early in May in £448, £600 borrowed in May, paid back 3x£182 for 3 months and paid the rest early £431, borrowed £1500 in August paid back £582 in sept and then cleared it in October with £1707)
Money platform – borrowed £600 in Apr paid back £638 to clear, £600 in May paid £773 to clear, £800 in aug paid back £819. Borrowed £1000 in October due to pay 3 monthly repayments of £510 each.
Credit Spring £1000 due £166+£28 fee per month for 6 months
Cards are:
Aqua with £600 limit opened in Aug24
OMNO £750 limit opened in Aug 24
BIP £600 limit opened in Oct 23 increased to £1200 in Apr 24
Asda (JaJa) £2800 limit opened in Sep 23
Zable £500 Sept 21, increased to £800 mar 22, £1000 June 22, £1500 Aug 23
Zopa card £500 in Oct 21 increase to £1100 Sep 22
Card minimum payments total approx £350 per month.
Thanks Lloyd
Sara (Debt Camel) says
With this pile of very payday loans and other expensive borrowing, you have no chance of repaying your way out of this mess. Even when the defaults drop off, you will have all these recent payday loans and simply way too much borrowing – no-one is going to give you a nice loan at a low rate to clear it all.
Your DMP was costing you too much a month if it led to you starting to borrowing from these bad credit lenders.
The only way out is by stopping borrowing more immediately and offering payment arrangements. And with so many credit ors an DMP is going to be a much less stressful options for you. Talk to StepChange!
The affordability complaints against all of the lenders will help. Every win will reduce the debt and so speed up the DMP. And will help to clean up your credit record a bit. But this on its own won’t help you – many of these complaints will need to go to the Ombudsman and take money months…
Lloyd says
Thanks for the advice. I have made an initial enquiry with step change and they have mentioned about a possible 60 day breathing space. This might allow me time to pay off the money platform loan and get back on track with everything else, albeit still quite a lot of debt to pay off but could be manageable based on salary, providing I stop borrowing more, which I agree is key moving forwards. What’s your thoughts on breathing space? My main reason for wanting to avoid new defaults is was hoping to look if I could get a mortgage even if through a specialist broker in about 12 months time as parents would help me with a deposit and I was thinking I’d get a better rate if no defaults but might just be kidding myself?
Sara (Debt Camel) says
So what debts are you thinking of paying in a breathing space? And you are missing payments to the others? Missing payments gets recorded on your credit record.
if you are thinking of paying them all, then how will you manage without taking out a new loan?
MRS M says
Good Afternoon
If a lender partially upholds your complaint and offers to remove loan from credit file and remove interest from remaining repayments however doesn’t offer to refund interest paid to date – is it worth going to the ombudsman?
Sara (Debt Camel) says
this depends on the details – can you say who the lender is, what you borrowed, what the monthly repayments are, the balance and what they have offered to reduce it to?
Gillian says
I had a very large loan with Zopa along with other debt, which began to become a real issue for me. By using your affordability complaint template I got them to agree to remove over £4K in interest. I literally sent one email using your template, and a few bank statements, and a few weeks later they confirmed they upheld my complaint. I had no idea such a process existed before seeing your page and I am so grateful, this will make such a difference to me and my family. Thank you so much!
Sara (Debt Camel) says
Brilliant. And it is great when a complaint gets so quickly resolved!
Lucy says
I had a loan with Welcome Finance bank in 2008, I am currently paying this off at £1 per month and have been since 2015 when they threatened a CCJ, the original loan amount was for £2000 and the balance currently stands at 4.7k!! Was definitely not affordable for me at the time!! Welcome went bust very soon after I got this loan out and no longer exist. The loan was purchased by Lowell and being managed by BW Legal. I am wanting to apply for a mortgage and whilst this isn’t on my credit file I am worried it will be an issue when the payment are seen on my bank statements. I did ask Lowell for a settlement and they offered me 4.2k, just feels criminal they can hold this over me nearly 20 years on. Am I able to challenge that it was unaffordable at the time? Any advice greatly appreciated
Sara (Debt Camel) says
You have no practical chance of winning an affordability case about such an old debt where the lender went bust.
You can try asking Lowell to produce the CCA agreement for the debt. See https://debtcamel.co.uk/ask-cca-agreement-for-debt/. If they can’t find it it is unenforceable in court and you can stop paying. In 6 months time a mortgage lender won’t be able to see the payments to Lowell.