Rural consumers less aware of financial complaints process
The story below came from BBC website under the title “rural consumers less aware of money complaints process” but I prefer to call it “rural consumers do not moan as much as the city dwellers” its is an interesting article. The article focuses more on migrant workers who are usually temporary resident at rural areas, even if they are aware of how to complain, giving that the complaint process is very slow, most of them are probably back in their country before investigation into the complaint gets underway not to mention the language barrier which is a major issue for them:
People living in rural areas in the UK are less aware of their rights to complain about financial companies than those in towns, an ombudsman has said.
Those in urban areas have greater access to information about banking, insurance and investment complaints, the Financial Ombudsman said.
Rural residents were more likely to be low-paid or in seasonal work. Complaints include a Lithuanian farm worker who was offered translation by his bank – into Polish. Access to the internet was highlighted as a key reason why people might not be able to access consumer advice.
The new chief Financial Ombudsman, Natalie Ceeney, has been in the job for a month. The free ombudsman service is set up by law to settle complaints between consumers and financial businesses on anything from pawnbroking to mortgages.
As the service prepares an annual review, expected in May, it has highlighted groups who are less aware of what it does.
“People living in rural and more remote areas tend to know less about the ombudsman service – and their right to complain – than people living in urban areas,” it said in Ombudsman News.
“The nature of much of the rural economy – traditionally involving low-paid employment, seasonal jobs and less skilled work – can mean disproportionately more people in poverty and unemployment.”
Those in the lower income scale were less aware of their rights as consumers, the group added.
full story here: news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/10093176.stm
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