Consumer ARB
Complaints Process: Step-by-Step
Step 1: Apply for Arbitration
Once you’ve double-checked that the trader you’re complaining about is a Participating Member of Consumer Arbitration, it’s time to submit your complaint to us!
From here on: You become the “Claimant” and the trader the “Respondent.”
You can do this via any of the following methods:
1) Our online complaints portal
2) Post, using a paper form
Please send your completed form to the following address:
Consumer Arbitration
Stratford Office Village
Unit 12 Walker Avenue, Wolverton
Milton Keynes
MK12 5TW
3) Telephone
Please call us on 0203 540 8063
Monday to Friday, 9:30am – 12:30pm
It is important that you fill out your complaint thoroughly and provide as much supporting evidence as possible to strengthen your case. For example:
- Receipts
- Photographs
- Copies of correspondence
Once you’ve submitted your complaint, we’ll check if it’s in scope for Consumer Arbitration.
Can’t remember what complaints we can deal with? Double-check on our Complaints we can deal with page.
Step 2: Pay the Claimant Fee
When you submit your Claim Form to Consumer Arbitration, you must pay a fee depending on the amount your dispute is worth:
- £10 for claims up to £750
- £25 for claims over £750
If you are the successful party, the Respondent reimburses your fee.
PLEASE NOTE: If the Award is the same as, or lower than, an offer the Respondent had already made you, you are treated as the unsuccessful party, and the fee is not reimbursed.
Step 3: Trader Responds
We send your Claim Documents to the Respondent, who is then given 28 days to provide a response.
They may:
- Settle the complaint
- Submit a written Defence challenging the complaint
A reminder to do so is issued after 14 days, and an extension of up to 14 days may be granted on application.
The Respondent cannot make a counterclaim.
Their response is then posted in the Online Portal.
Step 4: You reply to the Defence
If the Respondent chooses to challenge your complaint:
We send you their Defence.
You get 1 opportunity to submit a Reply, if you wish to do so;
You get a 7-day window to do this.
However, your Reply is restricted to points raised in the Defence (you may not add a new claim or new evidence).
Following your Reply, the Respondent is then given a single opportunity to highlight any new content in your Reply, but also cannot raise new points of its own.
They also get a 7-day window to do this.
Step 5: Complete Complaint File & Arbitration
After receiving the Respondent’s final observations, we confirm that we have all information and evidence from both parties, and declare a Complete Complaint File.
From this point, no further documentation, information, or evidence is accepted from either party unless we authorise it. This is to ensure fairness to both disputing parties.
We then appoint an independent Arbitrator, who considers all the documentation, and may ask for further information.
Step 6: Arbitral Award
The Arbitrator issues a written Award within 30 days of establishing the Complete Complaint File (Step 5).
PLEASE NOTE:
Consumer Arbitration is an Arbitration ADR scheme.
This means that the Award is final and legally binding on both you and the Respondent under the Arbitration Act 1996, and is enforceable in the courts.
It is not subject to acceptance or rejection.
