How to Make a Complaint About Irresponsible Lending
Claim back interest, charges, and restore your credit - especially if gambling made things worse.
Have you been given a loan or credit you couldn’t really afford? You’re not alone — and you have the right to complain.
We’ve created an easy-to-use tool to help you generate a professional complaint letter you can send directly to your lender. If needed, it can also be escalated to the Financial Ombudsman Service (FOS) - completely free.
✅ How to Use Our Complaint Letter Tool
Enter your details - Your name, address, lender name, and loan information.
Select your reasons - Choose from common signs of irresponsible lending.
(Optional) - Include gambling-related harm if it applies to your case.
Click “Generate Letter” - A personalised complaint will be created instantly.
Copy and send - Paste it into an email or your lender’s online complaint form.
⚠️ If your lender doesn’t respond within 8 weeks - or unfairly rejects your complaint — you can take it to the Financial Ombudsman Service at no cost to you.
📝 Sample Complaint Letter Template
Instructions:
Replace all highlighted text with your own details. Tick or delete items in the checklist depending on your situation.
[Your Full Name]
[Your Address]
[Postcode]
[Email Address]
[Phone Number]
Date: [DD/MM/YYYY]
To: [Lender Name]
[Lender Address]
Subject: Complaint about Irresponsible Lending – Request for Refund of Interest and Charges
Dear [Lender Name],
I am writing to formally raise a complaint about the credit you provided to me. I believe the loans and/or credit were irresponsible and unaffordable, and should not have been approved.
Under Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) rules, lenders must carry out sufficient affordability checks to ensure a borrower can repay credit without suffering financial harm. In my case, these checks were inadequate.
✅ Reasons I Believe the Lending Was Irresponsible:
(Please tick all that apply and remove any that don’t.)
☐ Multiple loans were given in a short space of time
☐ Repayments took up a large portion of my income
☐ I was already in financial difficulty at the time
☐ Gambling transactions were visible in my bank statements
☐ Credit limits were increased despite signs of financial strain
☐ I was using one loan to repay another
☐ My credit file showed defaults or missed payments
☐ I had persistent overdraft use or other debt issues
📌 LOAN DETAILS
Here are the details of the credit I am complaining about:
Loan/Account Number Date Taken Amount Borrowed Monthly Repayment
[e.g. 12345678] [DD/MM/YYYY] £[amount] £[amount]
[e.g. 87654321] [DD/MM/YYYY] £[amount] £[amount]
(Add more rows if needed)
🧠 Gambling-Related Harm (Optional)
I would also like to highlight that at the time of borrowing, I was experiencing gambling problems. My bank statements showed:
Regular deposits to gambling websites
Rapid inflows and outflows of money
Gambling near the time of loan repayments
These were clear indicators of financial vulnerability. A responsible lender should have investigated this further before approving credit.
The Financial Ombudsman Service has upheld similar complaints where lenders failed to consider gambling-related harm.
🎯 What I Am Requesting
If you agree that the credit was irresponsible, I am asking for:
A full refund of all interest and charges
Removal of negative entries from my credit file
Refund of any fees or penalties
Statutory interest (at 8% per year, as per FCA guidance)
📅 Next Steps
Please confirm that this complaint is being investigated under your formal complaints procedure. If I do not receive a response within 8 weeks, I will escalate my complaint to the Financial Ombudsman Service.
Yours sincerely,
[Your Full Name]
❓ Frequently Asked Questions
What is irresponsible lending?
When a lender gives you credit without properly checking if you can afford the repayments — especially if you're already in financial difficulty.
Can I complain if I used the money to gamble?
Yes. Lenders must lend responsibly regardless of how you spent the money. Gambling activity is often a red flag that should trigger further checks.
What can I get back?
If your complaint is successful, you could receive a refund of interest and charges, corrections to your credit file, and statutory interest.
What if the lender rejects my complaint?
You can escalate your case to the Financial Ombudsman Service — for free. Just wait 8 weeks or request a final response letter to start that process.
Need help getting started? Visit our Start a Complaint page to use the tool now. It’s fast, free, and can make a real difference.
