Elaine cannot refer a complaint about an insurance intermediary to the FSPO until she gets what from the intermediary?

• A. An acknowledgement of her complaint.
• B. A first response letter.
• C. A written apology.
• D. A final response letter.

Answer: (D)

Before escalating to the FSPO, a complaint must go through the insurer intermediary’s own complaints process and reach a final conclusion. The key thing Elaine needs is a final response letter from the intermediary. This letter marks the completion of the intermediary’s internal handling and sets out the outcome and reasons for that outcome (including any remedy offered or why none is offered). Only once that final response has been issued can she take the complaint to the FSPO if she remains unhappy with the result or if the firm did not resolve it within the expected timeframe. An acknowledgement, an initial response, or an apology are part of the early handling but do not end the internal process, so they don’t permit referral.