MSE News: Retail ombudsman service launches today

hollydays

Although there is a link on the retail ombudsman site , to the times-the link is dead .
Two minutes ago this report for tomorrow's Sunday times which inaccurately States

"How will it work?
Unlike with other ombudsman services, unhappy consumers can approach the new watchdog immediately, rather than having to complain to the retailer first and wait for a response. It is also able to investigate complaints that have been rejected by retailers. "

ConsumerGuy0016

hollydays wrote: »

Although there is a link on the retail ombudsman site , to the times-the link is dead .
Two minutes ago this report for tomorrow's Sunday times which inaccurately States

"How will it work?
Unlike with other ombudsman services, unhappy consumers can approach the new watchdog immediately, rather than having to complain to the retailer first and wait for a response. It is also able to investigate complaints that have been rejected by retailers. "

So, essentially, retailers have who have joined this Ombudsman have made the financial decision that it is cheaper to allow The Retail Ombudsman to deal with their customers' problems than it is to actually offer resolution to their customers' disputes.

Cue all these retailer's have stock, rigid and automated 'customer services' responses (similar to the ones you get from mobile phone operators) and hundreds of easy-to-deal with complaints being shipped off to this rogue organisation.

wealdroam

hollydays wrote: »

Although there is a link on the retail ombudsman site , to the times-the link is dead .
Two minutes ago this report for tomorrow's Sunday times which inaccurately States

"How will it work?
Unlike with other ombudsman services, unhappy consumers can approach the new watchdog immediately, rather than having to complain to the retailer first and wait for a response. It is also able to investigate complaints that have been rejected by retailers. "

Thanks for that quote Hollydays.

By the way, here's a link to that article:

http://www.thesundaytimes.co.uk/sto/business/money/Consumer/article1502449.ece

How will it work?
Unlike with other ombudsman services, unhappy consumers can approach the new watchdog immediately, rather than having to complain to the retailer first and wait for a response.

Remarkably, though not unsurprisingly, this is different to the statement on TRO's website:

You must also:

i) have firstly made a complaint to the retailer direct and given them at least 8 weeks to respond;

Looks like the Director of Communications has yet more work to do on Monday.

paddyrg

With such fundamental flaws before launch (ie trying to overrule statue and consumer RIGHTS) and colourful characters involved, surely this is DOA. I wonder if we'll be celebrating their 100,000 cases in a years time?

I do personally object to the name ombudsman, bestowing a sense of officialdom where none exists, they are an arbitrator for sure, but ombudsman really ought to be a protected term.

hollydays

MSE_Paloma wrote: »

Hi unholyangel,

We researched TRO since it first announced the scheme at the beginning of December. It has been set up with BIS and Trading Standards Institute has also been involved. Both have confirmed their involvement with TRO.

From my understanding, once a complaint is received, it gets allocated to a caseworker who looks at the evidence from both parties. As you say, it does have a code of conduct which meets the criteria set out by the Ombudsman Association but I'll raise your points with TRO and those from earlier posts on Monday.

Kind regards, MSE Paloma

While you say" it has been set up with BIS" ....what exactly are you claiming there?
Sir Eric Peacock is the chairman of The Retail Ombudsman and guess who he also is on the board of... You've guessed it, BIS .

Another thing I particularly object to , is in how in several of The Retail ombudsman companies press releases they say " sir Eric peacock government adviser" which suggests rather more government to involvement than there is. Weasel words indeed .
In the same vein
"The ombudsman service has been set up with the backing of government ministers under an EU directive which comes into force next year." Really?!!
( that one from the mirror)
http://www.mirror.co.uk/money/personal-finance/shoppers-could-win-back-millions-4760440

Then there is this press release
http://www.parentingwithouttears.com/articles/returning-christmas-presents

Nice picture of the bewigged gent who now claims to have been " appointed" . A bit rich when it's a private limited company owned by yourself.

Also fails to mention that postage return charges will most likely be incurred under ccr law. Mr Smith in the chat room indeed..

hollydays

Also
https://fashionunited.uk/news/retail/retailers-sign-up-to-new-ombudsman-service/2014120914835
This release claims its set up to help consumers , which is contrary to other press releases, see below

Dunham added: "If your retailer's not part of the scheme, perhaps you should think twice about shopping there, because we are the security blanket.”

hollydays

One other article , the better piece of journalism
http://www.retail-week.com/topics/policy/retail-ombudsman-service-launches-to-arbitrate-consumer-disputes/5067578.article
Apparently Dunham won't reveal who has signed up so far.. Hmm..??!! Confused??!! Or just spinning ?

Lawyer Dean Dunham launches a retail ombudsman service designed to resolve disputes between consumers and retailers.

The scheme is headed by ombudsman Dean Dunham, a lawyer whose CV ranges from representing celebrities including Adam Ant to writing consumer advice columns for tabloid newspapers.

The ombudsman is not a statutory body, but has been established by Dunham in the light of changing rules in the UK and the EU.

The UK Parliament will pass a Consumer Bill later this year in the hope of simplifying the tangled web of legislation, and Dunham says that while the ombudsman service is not a Government initiative, politicians think it can serve a useful purpose and are supportive.

An EU directive, meanwhile, means that by July this year consumer contracts should be covered by alternative dispute resolution (ADR) measures, such as an ombudsman.

Unresolved complaints
Dunham says that research has shown that there are about 6.4 million consumer complaints annually, a significant proportion of which go unresolved. He aims to provide even-handed mediation likely to be accepted by all parties.

He sees the new service as much-needed because of widespread ignorance of the law. “We’ve got a nation of internet lawyers,” he observes. “People go on the net and read Mr Smith on the chatroom, but Mr Smith may have got it wrong. Most people don’t understand the law.”

“This is not a consumer-led scheme. It’s impartial. It’s going to help retailers”
Dean Dunham

That means consumer complaints are frequently unfounded, and Dunham is keen to emphasise that the ombudsman will not indulge in bashing retailers for the sake of it. He believes the scheme can even strengthen the bonds between retailers and their customers.

He says: “This is not a consumer-led scheme. It’s impartial. It’s going to help retailers.

“When a retailer gets a complaint, which is often wrong, a lot of consumers won’t accept it and turn to the net and say all sorts of bad things.

“One would hope consumers would accept our answer, leaving the relationship with the retailer intact.”

Retailer customer service
Some might still question the need for an ombudsman however, given that retailers typically employ their own customer service teams and implement policies which often go beyond the basic demands of the law.

“Many retailers are good with things like returns – they go further than the law says”
Dean Dunham

On top of that they are policed by Trading Standards, regulators of various sorts and consumers might even resort to Citizens Advice Bureau.

Dunham concedes: “Many retailers are good with things like returns – they go further than the law says. But we still have many occasions when the retailer gets it wrong.

“Obviously we’re not compulsory. Retailers don’t have to join. But from July they’ll have an obligation to tell people there’s a redress scheme so why not be in it?”

Although the service has only just launched, and can only consider complaints arising after December 1, 2014, and following an eight-week period for retailers to deal with an issue themselves, Dunham says the ombudsman’s office is already being copied in to customer emails to retailers.

“We’ve been surprised how many people have copied us in – hundreds,” he says.

As retail becomes ever more a cross-channel business, perhaps it is not surprising that among the most common issues flagged by consumers to Dunham so far are delivery and returns.

Ombudsman membership
Retailers must pay to be covered by the ombudsman scheme. The cost of an annual subscription ranges from £100 for an independent retailer to a maximum of £2,600 for a big business, whether multichannel or pure-play.

On top of that there is a fee per complaint – waived in the event that a consumer’s complaint is deemed “spurious”.

Complaints are processed, mainly online, by a team of 37 caseworkers who are likely to handle the vast majority from start to finish. If a recommendation is not agreed by the parties involved it would then be referred to the ombudsman.

***Dunham would not reveal which retailers have signed up so far – he says that “they don’t want people to come to them before they’re ready”, given that the scheme is so new.***

However, it is understood that big names such as Argos, Boots and Debenhams are backing the project. Participating retailers will be able to display a logo.

wakeupalarm

Ombudsman's in virtually all area's to do with consumers are just a cover to keep cases out of court so as to prevent clogging up the court system. They are basically trade bodies financed by the companies themselves to help reduce costs fighting court cases which tend to be expensive for companies to deal with.

They have no merit for consumers and should be avoided unless you enjoy wasting your own time for months on end supplying evidence to back up your case only for the so called independent ombudsman to offer a paltry sum which only covers a couple of hours of the time you spend dealing with them. .

This one looks particularly inept before they have even started and I think rather than promoting them MSE should be issuing a big warning to avoid them. Far better to take the small claims route

Orford

They need to get their act together if they're going to have any credibility at all
and make it perfectly clear whether the ombudsman's decision is binding on the consumer or not.

Please read and sign this declaration:

• I’d like The Retail Ombudsman (“TRO”) to look into my complaint.
• I understand and acknowledge that TRO will need to use personal details about me (including sensitive or personal information) and that TRO may need to share some of this with the retailer that my complaint is about.
• I understand and acknowledge that TRO publishes the ombudsman’s final decisions, although most complaints are resolved by TRO caseworker before they reach the ombudsman
• I agree to provide true, accurate and full information about my complaint
• I agree to be bound by the decision reached by the ombudsman

http://www.theretailombudsman.org.uk/dashboard/create-claim.php

wealdroam

Orford wrote: »

They need to get their act together if they're going to have any credibility at all
and make it perfectly clear whether the ombudsman's decision is binding on the consumer or not.

http://www.theretailombudsman.org.uk/dashboard/create-claim.php

Oh dear.

What basic mistakes they are making.

Did you notice that the link to their Home page from that page you quoted from, doesn't work? Such a basic error.