Lloyds Bank tops customer complaints list

PPI complaints in the second half of the year were responsible for the lion’s share of new customer gripes at 76 per cent and just five firms accounted for 68 per cent of these.

Lloyds Bank and Bank of Scotland suffered 36,954 and 35,500 new PPI complaints respectively while Barclays Bank saw 31,717 customers lodge new complaints in the second half of 2013.

Tony Boorman, chief ombudsman, said: “The extraordinary volumes of financial complaints we saw in 2013 now looks as if they’re starting to level off at last – and that has to be welcome news for everyone.

“But we’re still a long way from being able to say that PPI is sorted once and for all. The numbers of new cases are still depressingly high.”

The average uphold rate where the ombudsman found in the consumer’s favour over the six month period was 51 per cent.

Jonathan Harris, director of mortgage broker Anderson Harris, said the biggest banks still have plenty to do to address the problems customers face.

And he added: “There is no room for complacency with new providers snapping at their heels and keen to pick up those customers who become disillusioned with shoddy service.”

Rob Killeen, director of London-based Capital Fortune, said the record number of complaints should be seen as an opportunity to improve standards.

“Complaints are the real litmus test for accountability,” he said.