Direct Complaint to Your Pension Adviser | Route 1 | Redress Advisory | Redress Advisory
No cold calls — ever No upfront cost 14-day right to cancel FCA CMC authorisation pending Free to claim direct via FOS or FSCS
Route 1 — Direct Complaint

Complaining directly to the firm that advised you

If the firm that gave you unsuitable pension advice is still trading, a formal complaint is always the first step. We handle this for you.

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In plain English: You have the right to complain directly to any FCA-regulated firm that gave you unsuitable advice. The firm must take your complaint seriously, investigate properly, and give you a written response within 8 weeks. Redress Advisory prepares and submits this complaint on your behalf.

How the direct complaint process works

Week 1 — We draft your complaint

We prepare a formal DISP-compliant complaint letter setting out exactly what the firm did wrong, the loss you suffered, and what you are claiming. We reference the relevant FCA rules and the suitability failures specific to your case.

Week 1 — We submit

We submit your complaint to the firm’s registered complaints department. The firm is legally required to send you an acknowledgement.

Weeks 2–8 — The firm investigates

The firm must investigate and respond within 8 weeks. We monitor the response and handle all correspondence on your behalf. You do not need to deal with the firm directly.

Week 8 — Their response

The firm sends a Final Response Letter. It will either uphold your complaint and offer compensation, or reject it. We review the response with you and advise on the next step.

If rejected — Route 2 (FOS) opens

A rejection is not the end. You have 6 months from the Final Response Letter to refer your complaint to the Financial Ombudsman Service. We handle this automatically.

What if the firm offers compensation?

If the firm makes an offer, we review it against the FCA’s DISP Appendix 4 calculation to check it is correct. Firms sometimes offer less than they should. We will tell you whether the offer is fair and advise whether to accept or escalate to the FOS.

Multiple firms in your advice chain

If a Pension Transfer Specialist (PTS) countersigned your transfer as well as your main adviser, we file separate complaints against both firms simultaneously. Each is responsible for their own part of the advice chain. Each complaint runs in parallel.

⚠  Time limit for Route 1

The FOS 6-year absolute clock runs from the date the advice was given. If you were advised before 2019, this clock may have expired for the FOS route. However, Route 1 (direct complaint to the firm) has no strict FCA time limit — the firm can still be asked to respond. The firm’s response (or rejection) then opens Route 2 within its own 6-month window.

Check your specific time limits →

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Takes under 3 minutes · No obligation · We will never cold-call you

Redress Advisory Ltd is applying for authorisation by the Financial Conduct Authority as a Claims Management Company (FCA reference: to be confirmed on authorisation). Company number: 17295681. Registered office: 20 Wenlock Road, London N1 7GU. Route 1 is managed directly by Redress Advisory.

Your rights and our fees — in plain English

You do not have to use us

You can complain directly to the firm, or refer to the Financial Ombudsman Service (FOS) or FSCS — both completely free. If you use the free routes, you keep 100% of any compensation awarded.

Our fees — success only, FCA capped
Redress received Max % Max fee
Up to £1,49930%£420
£1,500–£9,99928%£2,500
£10,000–£24,99925%£5,000
£25,000–£49,99920%£7,500
£50,000 and above15%£10,000

Compensation is paid directly to you. We invoice after you receive your compensation. You pay nothing if unsuccessful. Source: FCA PS21/18 (Chapter 2, Table 1) & CMCOB 5.2. Excl. VAT.

14-day right to cancel

If you sign a client agreement with us, you may cancel it within 14 days without any charge or obligation. No questions asked.

If you are unhappy with our service

Contact us at complaints@redressadvisory.com. If we cannot resolve your complaint you may refer it to the Financial Ombudsman Service free of charge within 6 months of our final response.