Guides › Debt and Buy Now Pay Later › Guarantor Loan: Being Asked to Pay
Guarantor Loan: Being Asked to Pay
If you are asked to repay a loan you guaranteed, the Financial Ombudsman looks at whether the lender took reasonable steps to check the loan was affordable for you as well as the borrower, and whether you understood the commitment and had a fair choice.
At a Glance
Your Rights
What the rules say, with a link to the official source for each.
How Complaints Are Judged
What the Ombudsman Checks
Whether the lender took reasonable steps to satisfy itself the loan was affordable for both borrower and guarantor (for example evidence of income and outgoings, not only self-declared figures and a credit check), and whether the guarantor understood the commitment and had a fair choice. In one case it ordered a refund of payments with 8% simple interest, removal as guarantor and £500 for distress. source
Time Limits to Know
Miss a deadline and you can lose a right. Check the dates on your own paperwork.
- 8 weeksFinancial Ombudsman complaintsLender has 8 weeks for most complaints, then you have 6 months from the final response
Steps to Take
Step 1 of 5
Ask the lender for copies of the checks it made on you.
Step 2 of 5
Tell it if you cannot afford the payments.
Step 3 of 5
Complain if the checks were not good enough.
Step 4 of 5
Get free debt advice.
Step 5 of 5
After 8 weeks, go to the Financial Ombudsman.
(Tap the numbers to reveal steps)
Where to Go If It Is Not Put Right
Your options, in order, and when each one applies.
Your Lender's Complaints Team
Always start here, in writing, and ask it to put things right.
Financial Ombudsman Service
After 8 weeks with no final response, or if you are unhappy with it. Refer within 6 months of the final response.
MoneyHelper Debt Advice
You are struggling with debt. Use the Debt Advice Locator to find free local advice.
Good to Know
Small things that make your complaint stronger.
Talk to the borrower early: missed payments come to you quickly.
Want Help?
If you would like one of our team to look at your problem, our initial case review is free. We cannot guarantee any outcome and we do not give legal advice.
Lead reviewer
Luke Marley
Founder and Lead Reviewer
Luke founded CPUK in 2026 after seeing how hard it is for ordinary people to get problems with companies put right. He oversees our guides and checks them against official sources.
Research by Katie Burt, Co-founder and Operations Lead (17 years in the care sector, including managing services for vulnerable adults), and the CPUK Research Team. Researched with AI-assisted research tools, then checked and corrected by our team.
Last checked: 13 October 2026. We are not paid by the companies we write about. Adverts never affect our guidance. Read our editorial policy.
Sources and official links
- financial-ombudsman.org.uk/decisions-case-studies/case-studies/guarantor-says-unfairly-asked-make-payments-borrower-didnt Checked 13 October 2026
- fca.org.uk/consumers/buy-now-pay-later Checked 12 October 2026
- financial-ombudsman.org.uk/consumers/complaints-can-help/expect/time-limits Checked 12 October 2026
- moneyhelper.org.uk Checked 12 October 2026