The figures show that there were 3,422,384 complaints during this period which is an increase of 1% on the first half of 2012.
Martin Wheatley, FCA chief executive, said: “Greater transparency drives greater competition and the publication of the complaints data lays bare the track record of the UK’s financial institutions when it comes to resolving customer conflicts.
“When I meet with the bosses of the financial institutions they frequently tell me that they don’t want to be at the top of the table which means they strive to improve both their sales and complaints handling processes. Not only does our data help consumers compare and contrast their current bank or lender but it also boosts competition among firms too.”
The top five complained about firms, in terms of the number of complaints opened in the second half of 2012, are:
Barclays Bank - 414,302, a decrease of 6% since the first half of 2012
Lloyds TSB Bank - 349,386, a decrease of 19% since the first half of 2012
Bank of Scotland - 338,912, a decrease of 7% since the first half of 2012
MBNA - 270,486, a decrease of 3% since the first half of 2012
Santander UK - 237,923, a decrease of 1% since the first half of 2012
The FCA stated that firms with the largest numbers of customers will often have the largest number of complaints.
By sector, the firms with the largest number of complaints opened in the second half of 2012, were:
Banking
Santander UK – 125,451
Barclays Bank – 118,031
National Westminster Bank – 81,519
HSBC Bank – 64,050
The Royal Bank of Scotland – 37,380
Home finance
Santander UK – 14,080
Bank of Scotland – 8,628
Northern Rock (Asset Management) – 8,312
Barclays Bank – 5,257
HSBC Bank – 4,359
General insurance and pure protection
Lloyds TSB Bank – 312,668
Bank of Scotland – 291,096
Barclays Bank – 286,919
MBNA – 234,633
Capital One (Europe) – 135,379
