Decent template to use if any of you guys want to use it
Dear [Bank Name] Disputes Team,
I am writing to formally raise a complaint and request urgent action regarding a transaction that has appeared on my account:
Merchant Name:
Transaction Date: [Insert date]
Transaction Amount: [Insert amount]
At the time of this transaction, I was (and remain) registered with GAMSTOP, the national self-exclusion scheme for gambling services in the UK.
In addition, my [Bank Name] account has a gambling block enabled, specifically designed to prevent gambling-related transactions from being processed.
Despite these protections, this payment was processed because the merchant miscoded the transaction, disguising it as a non-gambling service. This resulted in a clear bypass of my gambling block and self-exclusion, exposing me to harm that I had actively sought to prevent.
This situation constitutes a misleading commercial practice under the Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations 2008 and a failure of duty of care by both the merchant and the payment systems involved.
Under FCA guidelines, financial firms are expected to take reasonable steps to protect vulnerable customers, particularly when a gambling block is active. The incorrect coding of this transaction also undermines the effectiveness of such protection measures.
I am therefore requesting:
An immediate investigation into this transaction.
A full chargeback under grounds of misrepresentation and breach of consumer protection regulations.
Written confirmation of the actions taken to address this complaint.
If this complaint is not resolved to my satisfaction, I reserve the right to escalate the matter to the Financial Ombudsman Service without further notice.
Please treat this matter with urgency given the vulnerability context and the risks involved.
Yours sincerely,
[Your Full Name]
[Your Address]
[Your Account Number]
[Your Contact Information]