Annual Report

Annual Report – Schedule 5 of the Alternative Dispute Resolution for Consumer Disputes (Competent Authorities and Information) Regulations

This was the first year of operation and our operations were hampered by the almost total lack of publicity given to the Directive or ODR Platform by BIS and CTSI, failure to enforce any breach of the Regulations and Brexit, resulting in few businesses/traders agreeing to ADR and few businesses/traders complying with the requirements, with notable exceptions.  We intended to expand to deal with airline disputes, but the CAA increased their competent authority charges to a prohibitive level.

1. Number of Domestic Disputes and Cross Border Disputes “Received”.

Since 1 October 2015 – 1 October 2016

601 disputes notified

19 disputes received where both parties agreed to ADR.

2 disputes received from the EU Platform where the trader refused to mediate

0 cross border

2. Types of Complaints to which the domestic disputes and cross-border disputes relate

Travel/holiday

Gambling – 0

Carpet purchase/fitting

Domestic Building – bathroom and kitchen fitting

Dating Agencies

Car servicing/motor purchase

Solicitors-costs

By far the majority of complaints were those from customers who had purchased vehicles or regarding servicing, as well as domestic building disputes.

3. Systematic or significant Problems that occur frequently and lead to disputes between consumers and traders of which we have become aware due to our operations as an ADR entity

Too few dealt with to comment on any systematic or significant problems that occur frequently. We received many complaints about motor purchase and servicing, but the disputes could not be dealt with through ADR as the traders would not agree to use ADR. The same issue arose regarding domestic building disputes and vehicle purchase or repair. We received many complaints from customers but the traders would not engage in the ADR process.  These are areas where there is a real need for ADR that is not being met because of the way the Regulations have been framed and the Directive enacted.

4. The number of disputes that we have refused to deal with, and percentage share of the grounds set out in paragraph 13 of schedule 3 on which we have declined to consider such disputes.

0 – We did not decline to deal with any disputes.

5. Percentage of adr procedures which were discontinued for operational reasons and, if known, the reasons for the discontinuation.

0 – We did not discontinue any procedures.

6. The average time taken to resolve domestic and cross border disputes

14 days

7. The rate of compliance, if known, with the outcomes of the adr procedures

Unknown.

8. The cooperation, if any, of the ADR entity within any network of ADR entities which facilitates the resolution of cross-border disputes.

We were not aware of any network of ADR entities which facilitates the resolution of cross border disputes.