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Complaints policy
If something has gone wrong, here is how to raise a complaint with us, how we will investigate it and the independent bodies you can escalate to if you remain unhappy.
- DISP 1.6 timetable
- Independent handler review
- Free to complain
- Vulnerable-customer adjustments
24/7
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Response
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Cost
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Upfront to driver
Regulatory positioning. CityGrip Accident Claims is a UK accident claim management that operates outside the FCA claims-management regulated perimeter. We do not pursue FCA authorisation under that perimeter. Financial Ombudsman Service jurisdiction does not apply against CityGrip itself; where the complaint concerns work done by an authorised partner (an SRA-regulated solicitor or an FCA-authorised firm) we have introduced you to, that partner’s own regulator provides the onward route. We voluntarily mirror the FCA DISP 1.6 complaint-handling timetable below as a quality standard.
We take every complaint seriously. A complaint tells us something has not worked, and it gives us the chance to put it right for you and to improve our service for everyone else. This policy explains how to raise a concern, what we will do in response, the timescales we work to and the independent bodies you can escalate to if you remain unhappy with our final response.
How to complain
You can complain to us in whichever way suits you best. We treat complaints received by any channel the same way - there is no benefit to using one over another, and using a particular channel does not affect the timescales below.
- By phone: 0330 043 3409. Lines are open 24 hours a day. If you ask to make a complaint, the call handler will take the details and pass them straight to our complaints team.
- By email: complaints@citygripclaims.co.uk. Please put the word "complaint" in the subject line so it is routed straight to a complaints handler.
- By post: Complaints, Citygrip LTD, 124 City Road, London, EC1V 2NX. Please mark the envelope "Complaint - for the attention of the Complaints Manager".
- Online: use our contact form and tick the "this is a complaint" option, or write to us through the same address as above.
Our complaints framework is voluntarily modelled on the FCA Handbook DISP rules as a quality standard. CityGrip Accident Claims is a non-regulated accident support service and is not bound by DISP. Our framework sits alongside our obligations under the Equality Act 2010 and UK data-protection law, with the FCA Consumer Duty (PRIN 2A) used as an additional voluntary quality benchmark.
What to include in your complaint
You do not need to use any particular form of words, and you do not need to know which rule or contract clause is in point. We will investigate based on what you tell us. The more of the following you can include, the faster we can look into your concerns:
- Your full name and the address we hold for you.
- Your claim reference number, if you have one. If not, the date of the accident and the registration of your vehicle will help us find your file.
- What happened - the events you are unhappy about, in your own words, with dates and the names of any team members you spoke to if you remember them.
- What outcome you are looking for. Examples include an explanation, an apology, a refund or payment, a change to how your file is handled, or a referral to a different handler.
- Copies of any documents that support your complaint (emails, letters, photographs, invoices). Please do not send original documents - send copies and we will treat them carefully.
If you would prefer a trusted person to complain on your behalf - a family member, friend, advocate or a power of attorney - that is fine. We will ask for your written consent before we discuss your file with them, unless the third-party has formal legal authority such as a registered Lasting Power of Attorney.
Our timescales
Our timetable voluntarily mirrors DISP 1.6 of the FCA Handbook. CityGrip is a UK accident claim management so DISP does not bind us; we apply the same timescales as a quality standard.
- Within five working days: we acknowledge your complaint in writing, confirm the unique reference we have assigned to it, and tell you who is investigating.
- By the end of week four: if we have not yet been able to send a final response we will send a holding update. The update explains what we have done so far, what we are still waiting on, and when we expect to write to you with a final response.
- By the end of week eight: we aim to send a final response. In the small number of cases where we cannot complete the investigation in eight weeks - for example because a panel partner is awaiting a court listing or medical evidence - we will write to you to explain why, give you the reasons for the further delay, and signpost the relevant onward route (the partner’s regulator where an authorised partner is involved, or the County Court).
- Some complaints - for example a straightforward billing query - can be resolved by close of business on the third working day. In those cases we send a short summary resolution communication rather than a full final response, with your agreement.
What we will do
Our complaints handlers investigate fairly, on the evidence, and with the expectation that the customer's account will be taken seriously. We look at evidence on both sides - your account, the file notes, call recordings where they exist, correspondence with insurers and partners, and any expert input we need to obtain.
Complaint handlers are independent of the original handler. The person who looks at your complaint is not the same person whose work or decision is being complained about. A senior reviewer signs off the final response before it is sent. This separation is required under DISP 1.3.1R and reflects the fairness principle in the Consumer Duty (PRIN 2A).
Our final response will explain the outcome of our investigation in plain English. Where we have got something wrong we will say so. We will set out what we are going to do to put things right - for example, correcting our records, changing how your file is handled, refunding a sum, or compensating you for distress and inconvenience where appropriate. We will explain the next steps and how to take them, including any onward rights of escalation to an independent body.
Final response
A final response is a written letter or email that closes our investigation. It will: identify your complaint and the reference we have used; explain what we have looked at; set out our conclusions and the reasons for them; describe what (if anything) we are offering by way of remedy; and signpost your onward rights.
You do not have to accept our final response. If you disagree with it, you can tell us why and we will consider your reply. You can also take the matter to one of the independent escalation routes below. Using an escalation route does not cost you anything.
Escalation routes
The right onward route depends on the subject-matter of the complaint. More than one route can apply at once - for example, a complaint about how an authorised partner handled your data could be referred to both the ICO and that partner’s own regulator.
- Financial Ombudsman Service (complaints against an FCA-authorised partner only). CityGrip Accident Claims is a UK accident claim management business, so the Financial Ombudsman Service does not have jurisdiction over us. Where your complaint is about an FCA-authorised firm we have introduced you to, you can refer an unresolved complaint to the Financial Ombudsman Service against that firm at financial-ombudsman.org.uk. The service is free and independent and you can usually refer within six months of the firm’s final response.
- Information Commissioner's Office. If your complaint is about how we have handled your personal data - for example, an access request we did not answer in time, a record we got wrong, or a disclosure you did not authorise - you can complain to the ICO at any time at ico.org.uk. You do not have to complain to us first, although we would welcome the chance to put things right.
- Legal Ombudsman and SRA (panel solicitor matters). Where a referred panel solicitor has acted in your matter and your complaint is about that firm's service or conduct, you can refer the matter to the Legal Ombudsman at legalombudsman.org.uk for service complaints, or to the Solicitors Regulation Authority at sra.org.uk for solicitor-conduct concerns. The panel solicitor's own complaints procedure must usually be exhausted first; their procedure is included in their client-care letter.
- Advertising Standards Authority. If your complaint is about the content of an advertisement or marketing communication, the ASA at asa.org.uk is the appropriate body.
COMPLAINTS
03
Section 3 of the walkthrough.
Records and reporting
We keep a record of every complaint we receive - the date, the channel, the subject-matter, the handler, the steps taken, the final response and any onward escalation. Records are kept for at least six years from the date of the final response, in line with our retention schedule and the DISP 1.9 model we voluntarily mirror.
We review complaint records every month to identify root causes and patterns - process gaps, training needs, partner performance issues - and to put right the underlying causes, not just the individual outcome. Because CityGrip is a UK accident claim management business we do not submit complaints data to the FCA; we publish a summary in our annual transparency report instead.
Independence and fairness
Our complaints work voluntarily applies the principles in the FCA Consumer Duty's cross-cutting rules (PRIN 2A) - acting in good faith, avoiding foreseeable harm to retail customers and supporting customers' ability to pursue their objectives - even though CityGrip Accident Claims is a UK accident claim management business and is not bound by those rules. In complaints terms that means we do not "win" by closing a complaint quickly. We "win" by reaching a fair outcome that the customer understands, and by acting on what the complaint tells us about how the rest of the service is running.
Where a complaint reveals foreseeable harm beyond the individual customer - for example, a process or partner issue that could affect others - we treat the root cause as a separate workstream alongside resolving the individual case.
Vulnerable customers
If you are in vulnerable circumstances - through health, a difficult life event, financial pressure or any difficulty engaging with the process - please tell us and we will adjust how we handle your complaint. Adjustments can include extra time at each stage, communication by a channel that works better for you (post rather than email, for example), simpler written summaries, longer call slots, or accepting a trusted contact as your representative. We will not treat asking for an adjustment as in any way prejudicing your complaint.
More detail about how we identify and support vulnerable customers, and the adjustments we offer, is in our Vulnerable customer policy.
This document requires sign-off by a UK regulatory solicitor prior to launch. Last reviewed: 15 May 2026.