Citizens Advice is launching a campaign urging payday loan customers who believe their lender has treated them unfairly to make a complaint.

Citizens Advice chief executive Gillian Guy said she was pleased to see the Office of Fair Trading’s (OFT) investigation into the payday loans industry has so far led to 14 lenders leaving the market.

“I hope this is just the start of a shift towards a responsible short-term credit market by ridding it of unscrupulous lenders,” she said.

“Citizens Advice sees people day in day out who have been left in absolutely desperate situations by irresponsible lenders. Saddled with years worth of debts, many people are left feeling completely powerless. Yet consumers do have the power to shape the payday loan industry by making their voice heard.

“By raising problems with Citizens Advice and complaining to the Financial Ombudsman customers can get their problems sorted out, like refunds for unauthorised payments, reasonable debt repayment plans or compensation for poor treatment, and can stop similar things happening to other people.”

On Monday 5 August Citizens Advice will launch a month-long campaign urging people who feel they have been treated unfairly by a payday lender to make a complaint. As part of the campaign Citizens Advice will be outlining the minimum standards payday loan customers can expect from their lenders.