I’m a consumer champion and have won £1.2m back for readers: Here’s how to complain… and WIN

Since February 2022, I’ve had the privilege of helping our readers fight for financial justice as This is Money’s consumer champion – and this week marks the 100th Crane on the Case column.

While it is a brilliant job, I can’t say I’ve loved every second of it. Having a call or email ignored for the seventh time by a firm that doesn’t want to answer my questions, or reading a company’s mealy-mouthed explanation of why it will weasel out of helping a customer in their time of need can be tough. 

But telling someone I’ve been able to sort out the £95,000 energy bill that almost forced them to close their dance school, getting a vulnerable couple back their £35,000 life savings or clawing back cash for a young person after they were mugged will always be the highlight of my week. 

Little victories are important too – a particular favourite was getting a McDonald’s fan refunded for his £60 penalty charge notice after he spent a minute too long queuing for a coffee in the drive-thru. 

Since starting the Crane on the Case column I have helped readers to win back almost £1.22million. That is more than £10,000 per week. 

It says something about the way big companies treat their customers that my virtual mailbag is bulging week in, week out. While I read every reader email I receive, I sadly can’t help everyone. 

The work is time-consuming, involves a lot of dead ends – and to dispel a myth perpetuated in the comments recently, I don’t have an assistant. 

I’m therefore often asked to share the tricks of the trade and explain how people can take up the charge themselves, and persuade firms to sort out their problems or give them their money back. 

A big part of it is having the power of This is Money and MailOnline behind me, as the threat of a negative article can be powerful. 

That said, I do think there are things that anyone can do to help get their complaint heard. I’ve listed mine below – and I would love to hear what has worked for you, too. 

1. Be nice

Sometimes readers who ask me for help will show me the messages they have had back and forth with a company’s customer support staff.

While the majority are perfectly polite, I’m afraid to say some are just plain rude. 

I do understand where they are coming from. 

Hours hanging on the phone feeling you aren’t being listened to, or worse, chatting nonsense with an AI robot, are enough to fray anyone’s temper. 

But working in a call centre or replying to customer emails is one of the most thankless jobs out there, and whatever has gone wrong, it’s not their fault.

In the same way that being rude to a barman will ensure you are the last to get your drink, being rude to customer support staff is sure to get your complaint pushed straight to the bottom of the priority list.

It’s important to be clear and persistent, but keeping as calm as possible and remembering to thank them for their help at the end of a call – even if you don’t think they have been especially helpful – will advance your cause.

2. Write to the boss

I have included this tip not because the chief executive will read your email or letter. I’m afraid they almost certainly won’t.   

But writing to them may help your problem get escalated to something called the executive complaints department.

This is a top team of troubleshooters who have the power to speak to the right people in the company and get complaints sorted, fast.

Not all firms have one, and you usually can’t contact them directly – but if you can get your letter or email sent their way, you may be on to a winner.

A quick check on the website CEO Email should point you in the right direction for most big firms.

You should include a brief summary of your problem, any account numbers or complaint references, how you’d like the issue to be resolved, and your contact details.

3. Moan on social media

If you have an account on X, Facebook or Instagram, it’s time to make your voice heard.

Posting a polite but firm public message to a company can save time waiting around on the phone, as they may contact you directly.

Of course, some people might find it a little embarrassing to shout about their lost parcel or cancelled flight where their where their friends or colleagues can see. 

I’ve been known to poke fun at my brother, who travels a lot, for his departure lounge missives to various airlines. But there’s no denying it can work.

Before you go full keyboard warrior, make sure you are messaging a genuine account and not a scammer spoofing a company’s customer service department.

Unfortunately, this is now a common way for fraudsters to get their mitts on our personal information.

A quick check of how many followers they have should let you know, and you are still unsure you can head to the company’s official website and go through the links there. 

4. Try your bank

Often, I get involved in cases where a purchase has gone wrong. That could be a pair of trainers that didn’t show up for an important race, or a deposit paid for a kitchen that was never fitted. 

Sometimes the company sorts it, but if they don’t, you may have a heavyweight you weren’t aware of in your corner: your bank or credit card company. 

Depending on how much money you spent and when, you could get your money back through these two customer protections: 

• Chargeback – When you ask your bank to ‘claw back’ money you paid for a product or service that didn’t arrive or meet expectations. This can apply to debit or credit cards but there is usually a 120-day limit. 
• Section 75 – If it cost between £100 and £30,000 and you paid some or all of the price on credit card, you may be able to make a claim under Section 75 of the Consumer Credit Act. 

You’ll have to prove you have done everything you can to get the money back from the firm itself first, which is why this is especially useful in cases where a company is uncontactable or has gone bust. 

5. Keep records

If none of these steps have worked, don’t give up – but do consider starting a dossier.

When a complaint becomes long-running, it’s handy to have a single document where you make a note of every time you contact a company, the name of the person you talk to or email, what they say and what steps you need to take next – as well as any complaint reference numbers. 

This will not only save you from having to dig out old scraps of paper or emails every time you get in touch, but will also make it much easier to put together your case if you go on to step six… 

6. Take it further

If you’ve taken all the above steps and still feel your complaint isn’t being heard, consider contacting an Ombudsman.

You will need to have made an official complaint to the company involved first, given them time to address it, and in some cases have a letter from them proving this.

Some useful Ombudsmen are:

• Bank accounts, insurance, mortgages and pensions – Financial Ombudsman Service
• Mobile phones and broadband – Communications Ombudsman
• Energy bills – Energy Ombudsman
• Holidays – Atol (package holidays with flights) Abta (road, rail or sea holidays)

Don’t expect a quick fix, though. The Financial Ombudsman has a wait of two to three months for a case to be allocated for investigation – and that is just the beginning.

Contacting your MP can also work, especially if you have a complaint that affects lots of people in your area such as unfair penalty charge notices in a local car park. 

As a last resort, you can try the small claims court – but do investigate the fees first as there is no guarantee you will win, and even if you do the costs could end up wiping out any benefits.

You can also contact me on [email protected]. Please include a brief summary of the problem, when it happened, any relevant emails, letters or bills, your account or reference numbers with the company and permission from the account holder for me to contact the company on their behalf.