MSE News: Ombudsman Services gives shoppers new avenue for retail complaints

Former_MSE_Paloma

Shoppers can now get legally binding decisions on retail complaints from the Ombudsman Services ...

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Ombudsman Services gives shoppers new avenue for retail complaints




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tomtontom

Not keen on these services that put themselves across as official bodies when they're not. If a complaint cannot be resolved informally I would go to small claims, not use this "independent" service.

cookie365

Are we supposed to be overwhelmed with joy at this news?

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/5144700

unholyangel

cookie365 wrote: »

Are we supposed to be overwhelmed with joy at this news?

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/5144700

Its a different one. Although still basically a private company trading as a dispute resolution service rather than an official regulator.

Call me crazy but I just don't see how this is great for consumer rights - perhaps for consumer service, but not consumer rights. The service is not a court of law. If lawyers and barristers were qualified to make judgements based on their interpretation of the law, we wouldnt need judges.

Although I'll admit the other ombudsman mentioned in the above link (TRO) has coloured my view slightly with the way they tried to come across as official while effectively saying "some customers just won't take no for an answer from retailers, but they will with us because we've set ourselves up as an ombudsman"

cookie365

Ah, OK, didn't realise they were different. Still not jumping for joy though.

hollydays

Two identical services each signing up different retailers, in theory.
Confused?

bluenoseam

And how long before this essentially becomes the Sports Direct ombudsman?

Crabman

Anyone know when Ombudsman Services may start encrypting customers' sensitive details (no https)??

http://www.ombudsman-services.org/forms/complain/communications/

http://www.ombudsman-services.org/forms/complain/energy/

crittertog

Have used Ombudsman Services (in their telephony guise) once, and can't say I was impressed - written correspondence was in broken English, it was fairly clear they hadn't actually fully read documents submitted by them, and their decision were contrary to legal advice received from 3 different lawyers. A litigator on Money Box who successfully sued one of the mobile providers said that from their past experience they were a waste of time, so I can't be the only one...

Crabman wrote: »

Anyone know when Ombudsman Services may start encrypting customers' sensitive details (no https)??

Those forms should be going via HTTPS to give a modicum of protection against manipulation of the form (fail #1), and there's no SSL certificate on the site at all (fail #2). Whoops.

quaybab

Ombudsman services Warrington are proven liars and cheats who use tactics to aggravate customers.
No final decision enforcement mechanism exists if their poor service results in an outcome anyway.

Be warned.