Legal

Complaints Handling Policy

Last updated: 16 July 2026

Merchant Advice is committed to providing a professional, honest and helpful service. We take any complaint seriously. When something has not met your expectations, we want to hear about it, put it right where we can, and learn from it.

This policy explains how to raise a complaint with us, how we will handle it, how long it should take, and what you can do if you are not satisfied with our response.

1. What this policy covers

This policy covers complaints about Merchant Advice and the advice, introductions and support we provide as an independent broker - for example the way we handled your enquiry, the service you received from an adviser, or how we managed your information.

We are an introducer. Where you have gone on to take a product or service from a payment provider, lender, bank or other partner we introduced you to, a complaint about that product or service - such as processing, settlement, fees charged by the provider, or a lending decision - is handled by that provider under their own complaints process. Section 5 explains how we help you there.

2. How to make a complaint

You can complain in whichever way is easiest for you:

• By email: info@merchantadvice.co.uk
• By phone: 0204 525 9875
• By post: Complaints, Merchant Advice, OCRO LTD, 71-75 Shelton Street, Covent Garden, London, WC2H 9JQ

To help us resolve things as quickly as possible, please include:

• Your name, business name, and the best way to contact you.
• What your complaint is about, with relevant dates and any reference numbers.
• What has gone wrong, and what you would like us to do to put it right.

3. How we handle your complaint

We follow a clear, consistent process for every complaint:

• Acknowledgement. We will acknowledge your complaint in writing within three business days of receiving it, and let you know who is dealing with it.
• Investigation. A member of our team - independent of the issue wherever possible - will review what happened, look at the relevant records, and may contact you for further detail.
• Keeping you updated. If we cannot resolve your complaint quickly, we will keep you informed of progress and give you a realistic idea of timing.
• Our response. We will give you a clear written response setting out our findings, our decision, and the reasons for it. Where we have got something wrong, we will say so and explain how we will put it right.

4. Our timescales

We aim to resolve every complaint as quickly as possible:

• We acknowledge your complaint within three business days.
• We aim to resolve straightforward complaints within ten business days.
• If a complaint is more complex and needs longer, we will tell you why, keep you updated, and send our final written response no later than eight weeks from the date you first complained.

5. Complaints about a provider, lender or bank we introduced you to

If your complaint is really about a product or service provided by a partner we introduced you to, that partner is responsible for resolving it and has its own complaints procedure. Many of these providers are authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA).

Tell us anyway - we will help you identify the right provider, point you to their complaints process, and share relevant information with them where appropriate to help move things along.

6. If you are still not satisfied

We will always do our best to resolve your complaint directly and fairly. If you are not satisfied with our final response, please come back to us so we can take a further look.

Merchant Advice is an independent introducer. We are not authorised or regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), and the Financial Ombudsman Service does not cover complaints about Merchant Advice's own service.

Where your complaint concerns a product or service provided by one of the partners we introduced you to, that provider's own complaints process applies. Many of these providers are FCA-authorised, and eligible customers may have the right to refer an unresolved complaint about that provider to the Financial Ombudsman Service (financial-ombudsman.org.uk). We will tell you which provider is responsible and help you escalate to them.

7. Our commitment to you

• We treat every complaint fairly, consistently and in confidence.
• Raising a complaint will never affect the standard of service or support we give you.
• We use what we learn from complaints to improve how we work.

8. Contact us

To make a complaint, or if you have any questions about this policy, contact us at info@merchantadvice.co.uk, on 0204 525 9875, or by post at OCRO LTD, 71-75 Shelton Street, Covent Garden, London, WC2H 9JQ.

Merchant Advice is a division of OCRO LTD (company number 12774706).