The Postal Services (Consumer Complaints Handling Standards) Regulations 2008

Regulated providers’ complaints handling procedure

3.—(1) Each regulated provider must have in place at all times a complaints handling procedure.

(2) Each regulated provider must comply with its complaints handling procedure in relation to each consumer complaint made through that complaint handling procedure.

(3) Each regulated provider’s complaints handling procedure must—

(a) be transparent, simple and inexpensive;

(b) be in plain and intelligible language;

(c) allow for consumer complaints to be made orally or in writing (including electronically);

(d) set out contact details to allow a relevant consumer to make a consumer complaint;

(e) allow for consumer complaints to be progressed through each stage of the complaints handling procedure orally or in writing (including electronically);

(f) allow for consumer complaints with no evidence base to be dealt with;

(g) describe the process which the regulated provider will follow with a view to investigating and resolving a consumer complaint and the likely timescales for that process;

(h) provide for an internal review of an existing consumer complaint where a complainant indicates that they would like such a review to occur because he or she is dissatisfied with the handling of that consumer complaint;

(i) set out contact details for Consumer Direct;

(j) describe the complainant’s right to refer a consumer complaint to a qualifying redress scheme—

(i) from the point at which the regulated provider notifies the complainant in writing, that it is unable to complete the consumer complaint to the complainant’s satisfaction; or

(ii) after the expiry of the specified time period.

(4) Each regulated provider must, not less than once every three calendar years, review its complaints handling procedure and seek feedback from a reasonable number of complainants to ensure the complaints handling procedure meets the needs of relevant consumers.