Privacy & Cookies Statement (as of March 2024) At the Channel Islands Financial Ombudsman (“CIFO”, “we” or “us”), we are committed to protecting your privacy and safeguarding your personal information. This Privacy Statement describes how we collect and use personal information about you during and after your relationship with us, in accordance with the Data […]
Customer Communication CIFO believes that a large number of complaints could be reduced if financial service providers (FSPs) offered clear communication and robust customer service. Tips on how to provide customer communications: Information – provide information and ensure it is clear and relevant as your customers may not fully understand the issues. Your manner – […]
Unclear Wording of Policy Coverage Limits Interpreted in Favour of Policy Holder Themes: Health and dental insurance, cap on benefit amount payable, interpretation of misleading or unclear language against insurer Rejection of Insurance Claim and Coverage Revoked Themes: Home Insurance, Loss adjustment-cause of damage, customer obligation to provide accurate and complete answers to questions, customer […]
Have you ever wondered whether “fair” and “legal” meant the same thing? We encourage applicants from a wide range of backgrounds and expertise. Are you intrigued by the concept of alternate dispute resolution and its ability to resolve complex disputes between financial service providers and retail clients? Have people described you as a great communicator […]
CIFO is committed to being transparent about its policies and the thought-process that informs those polices. Input from CIFO’s various stakeholder constituencies forms an important part of CIFO’s policymaking process and ensures that CIFO’s Board of Directors has the necessary input to support productive discussion and effective decisions. Wherever possible, CIFO will publish a consultation […]
Mission Statement The Channel Islands Financial Ombudsman is independent. We support public confidence in financial services by resolving complaints when things go wrong and pointing out where things could be improved. We are easy to use and understand, and free for complainants. We do not take sides. We decide what is fair, even if that […]
The Jersey and Guernsey laws and secondary legislation are in similar terms – so that the scope and operations of CIFO are as comparable as possible across the Channel Islands. A memorandum of understanding commits both jurisdictions to make best efforts to maintain the scope in each jurisdiction as similar as possible. Secondary legislation in […]
Governance CIFO is a joint operation of two statutory bodies; the Office of the Financial Services Ombudsman (Jersey) and the Office of the Financial Services Ombudsman (Guernsey), jointly operating under the name Channel Islands Financial Ombudsman. CIFO operates from a single office in Jersey with the same board members and staff. The States of Jersey […]
Our staff review and investigate unresolved complaints from complainants about financial services providers (FSPs) in or from within Jersey, Guernsey, Alderney and Sark. CIFO is set up in law and the relevant legislation sets certain boundaries for CIFO (“our mandate”) on the types of complaints we can investigate. If we find the FSP has caused […]