Better conflicts, Better outcomes, Better world
How do I make an effective claim to CEDR?
❶ Set out your complaint clearly, including a timeline of what’s happened so far❷ Provide any evidence that you want to rely on, or think is important❸ Detail exactly what you would like the company to do to make things better❶ Setting out your complaint• You should set out your complaint as clearly as possible. Set out what you feel has gone wrong
and tell us what this has meant for you.
• You should include a timeline of events in chronological order.
• You may want to consider the following check list:
What is the problem and when did it start?
Why do you think the company are responsible?
What steps did you take to try and resolve it with the company?
How has the problem affected you? (Has it cost you money? Caused you distress?)
What do you want the company to do about the problem?
➢Why?
o By being clear, it will be easier to understand fully why you are unhappy. For companies, thismeans they will be more likely to be able to offer a resolution that works for you; for adjudicators,
this means they will be able to see if anything needs remedying.
o Providing a timeline of events can make it easier for the company and adjudicator to follow
what’s happened so far, as well as to appreciate what you’ve been through.

❷ Provide evidence• You should provide all the evidence you want to rely on and/or think is important to your claim.
This could be correspondence with the company, bills, receipts, third-party reports etc.
• You should try to link the evidence to your timeline and/or to the relevant parts of your complaint,
and explain what it shows.
➢Why?
o It is for you to provide the evidence for your case and show that the company has done
something wrong. CEDR does not have the power to gather evidence for you.
o Evidence will help support your claim and to back up what you say has happened and/or how it
has affected you – this will, again, help both the company and the adjudicator understand yourissue more clearly.

❸ Ask for what you want
• Make sure you state exactly what it is you want the company to do and break it down as best you
can. Try to be realistic about what the company will actually be able to do, as well as with what
you think you are entitled to. If you are asking for money, you should say how much you want.
• Try to think broadly about what is causing your problem and, therefore, what would actually fix it.
For example, if you feel you are being overcharged you may request a refund, but what you may
also need to ask for is for the company to ensure your bill is the correct amount each month – thiswould stop the overcharge from happening again.
➢Why?
o It is important that you ask explicitly for the things you want – for you, it may seem obvious what
you need and/or want, but it is always safest to state it anyway.
o A company may not be able to do or give everything you ideally want, so it’s always important toset your expectations realistically and be prepared to compromise.
o Sometimes, you can ask for a remedy that treats a ‘symptom’ of your problem, but does not fix
the ‘root’ of the issue. This could mean that you may only resolve the problem temporarily andthen end up in the same situation later on down the line.