Better conflicts, Better outcomes, Better world

CEDR Complaints Procedure
We set high standards across the full range of services we offer and we work to the CEDR
Caseworker Competency Framework. Whilst we aim to achieve those standards all of thetime we have a procedure for dealing with complaints that ensures they are given propercare and attention. Complaints can be made by any user of CEDR’s services, including bothconsumers and subscribing companies.
CEDR aims to provide a responsive and timely service to all users of our service. We will:• treat all complaints seriously and deal with them properly;• address complaints promptly; and• learn from complaints and take action to improve our service. We can, however, only
deal with complaints that raise concerns about poor administration and customer
service received by our Case Officers.
We cannot investigate complaints about:• decisions made by our adjudicators and arbitrators, or any of the decision process
they adopt; (please note that adjudicator/ arbitrator decisions are final and cannot beappealed and this includes situations where objections have been upheld);• the content or validity of the procedures, rules or timescales of any of the services weprovide, although we will consider suggestions for improvements as we consider
appropriate;• any business decision made by CEDR; or• complaints which, in our opinion, are unclear, unreasonable, persistent or vexatious.
Complaints must relate to a case that has reached an outcome through one of CEDR’s ADR
Schemes. This means your case must have reached one of the following three stages:• Your case has been withdrawn from a scheme after it commenced• You have reached a settlement from the company that you were in dispute with• An adjudicator/ arbitrator has issued a final decision on your case.
Furthermore, your complaint must be brought to us within two months of the date on
which your case reached one of the above stages. Complaints that are brought to us morethan two months later will not be reviewed under any circumstance.

CEDR Services Ltd.
100 St. Paul’s Churchyard,London EC4M 8BU
Registered in England & Wales: 3271988

Better conflicts, Better outcomes, Better world

A consumer who is dissatisfied with an adjudicator/ arbitrator’s decision is free to reject thedecision, in which case it will have no binding effect. Furthermore, use of CEDR as analternative dispute resolution (ADR) provider does not affect any party’s rights to accesscourt.
Every service complaint that CEDR receives will be handled in line with the following threestage process:Stage 1In the first instance, complaints should be addressed to the Complaints Team where thematter will be referred to a complaints manager who will have 30 working days in which toprovide a written response. In making your complaint, you will need to be clear not only
about the nature ofyour complaint but also what you would like us to do about it. TheComplaint Formprovided is used for this purpose and must be submitted with eachcomplaint. If your complaint is about the adjudicator or arbitrator's decision, CEDR will
write to you to advisethat your complaint does not fall within scope along with the reason(s) as to why we cannot review the substance of your complaint. This determination is notreviewable or open to appeal. The Complaint Form is accessible here.
Please note that if you have requested that a response is posted to you, this will be received
on or before the 30th working day.
Stage 2
A complaints manager will usually be able to resolve your complaint. If, however, youremain dissatisfied with the handling of your complaint or the outcome of the Manager’s
review of your complaint, you may request, within 4 weeks of receiving our response, that
the Manager's decision is reviewed by a suitably senior member of CEDR staff, who wasneither involved in your case nor the first stage review of your complaint.You will need to
be clear and concise about the reasons for your request and what you would like to achievefrom the review. The reviewer will respond to you in writing within 30 working days of theescalation request being made. Please note that you cannot escalate your complaint toStage 2 if your complaint has been deemed to be outside the scope of the CEDR
Complaints Procedure at Stage 1.

CEDR Services Ltd.
100 St. Paul’s Churchyard,London EC4M 8BU
Registered in England & Wales: 3271988

Better conflicts, Better outcomes, Better worldStage 3If you remain dissatisfied with the written response to your complaint at Stage 2 you
may request, within four weeks of receiving the response, to escalate your complaint toStage 3. You must be clear about the reasons for your escalation request and theoutcome you are looking for from the escalation.
The Stage 3 review will be carried out by the Independent Complaints Reviewer. The
Independent Complaints Reviewer will respond to you in writing within 30 working days ofthe escalation request being made. The Independent Complaints Reviewer can makerecommendations for actions to be taken by CEDR, which may relate to the specificcomplaint or to more general matters covered by the Complaints Procedure. Once you
have received a written response at Stage3, the CEDR Complaints Procedure will be at anend. There is no further escalation beyond Stage 3 and no right of appeal. Please note thatin some exceptional circumstances this part of the review may take longer than 30 working
days. If that is the case, we will advise you before the response due date.
Furthermore, the Independent Complaints Reviewer also assesses our performance inhandling complaints about our service and any subsequent recommendations arepresented to the relevant CEDR Director.
Important: CEDR may refuse to deal with a complaint if it considers it to be frivolous orvexatious. A vexatious complaint is a very narrow category of complaint. CEDR will refuse toaccept a complaint where it is readily apparent that the consumer is pursuing a complaint
which is entirely without merit and is made with the intention of causing inconvenience,harassment or undue expense to CEDR. A frivolous complaint is a complaint that has noserious purpose or value. We would apply the term frivolous to a complaint that has little
merit or is of a trivial nature, or where to investigate it would be out of all proportion to theseriousness of the customer service issue(s) complained about.
The decision to reject a complaint on this basis is at the sole discretion of CEDR. In
identifying frivolous or vexatious complaints, CEDR is careful not to prevent complainants
who are raising genuine concerns from having access to the Complaints Procedure. We willachieve this by recognising that complainants may often be aggrieved, frustrated or haveother reasons for their behaviour and, therefore, that the focus must be on carefulconsideration of the merits of the service complaint in its own right rather than the attitudeof the complainant. CEDR also recognises that every complaint must be considered on itsown merits and, even if someone has made a frivolous or vexatious complaint in the past, it
must not be assumed that any other complaint they make will also be frivolous or vexatious.
The need to consider every complaint on its own merits cannot be over-emphasised.

CEDR Services Ltd.
100 St. Paul’s Churchyard,London EC4M 8BU
Registered in England & Wales: 3271988

Better conflicts, Better outcomes, Better world

Please also note that unreasonable levels of contact with, or harassment of, the Complaints
Team could result in CEDR refusing to consider a service complaint any further, refusing toconsider future service complaints and/or refusing to enter into further correspondence witha complainant in relation to the complaint. The complainant may be advised that theircomplaint is best dealt with in another forum. If a complainant repeatedly raises issues thatare beyond CEDR’s remit, insists that more time be spent on a complaint than is warranted
or directs CEDR on how to handle the complaint, CEDR will consider these demands to beunreasonable. If a complainant makes unreasonable demands, CEDR will review whichissues will be considered and how communication should occur between the complainant
and CEDR. CEDR may apply its Unacceptable Behaviour Policy in these circumstances.
If you require any assistance completing the Complaint Form, please let the team know.
This may require providing the Complaint Form in another format.

CEDR Services Ltd.
100 St. Paul’s Churchyard,London EC4M 8BU
Registered in England & Wales: 3271988