Internal Complaints Handling Policy
1. If you have a problem relating to Streets Ahead Estates LTD, please discuss this with one of our branch staff. Our aim is to deal with your problem sympathetically, fairly and quickly. 2. If you feel that the matter is not being resolved to your satisfaction, please ask to speak to the Manager of the branch dealing with your enquiry. The Manager will try to resolve the matter on the day you raise your complaint, although whether this is possible will depend on the nature of the complaint. 3. If the response by our branch Manager does not resolve the matter to your satisfaction, you can ask the Manager to refer the complaint to our Managing Director; alternatively you can write to him: Mr T Gill, Managing Director, Streets Ahead Estates, 60 Babington Lane, Derby, DE1 1SX. Your letter should state why you are still dissatisfied and what further action you wish Streets Ahead Estates LTD to take to fully resolve your complaint. A letter of acknowledgement will be sent to you within 3 working days. It will also: ? Set out our understanding of your complaint, and ? State when we will be able to reply in greater detail You may also be asked for additional information if this is required to assist in resolving the matter. If necessary, for example with a complex complaint, the Managing Director will consult the Branch Manager of Streets Ahead Estates LTD. The Managing Director will fully investigate your complaint and a formal written outcome of the investigation will be sent to you within 15 working days. 4. In all but exceptional cases, by the end of five weeks following receipt of your complaint, Streets Ahead Estates LTD will have given you its final response by a letter from the Managing Director. This will be accompanied by The Property Ombudsman Consumer Guide. 5. If you are still not satisfied with the steps taken by Streets Ahead Estates LTD, you can write to: The Property Ombudsman, Milford House, 43-55 Milford Street, Salisbury, Wiltshire, SP1 2BP (Telephone 01722 333306 or e-mail [email protected]). 6. The Property Ombudsman will consider your complaint, taking in to account any points made by you and Streets Ahead Estates LTD. The Property Ombudsman may, however, refuse to investigate a complaint where your issue refers to something that happened more than 12 months before you complained in writing to the Member Agency, or you referred your complaint to The Property Ombudsman more than six months after you received the Member Agency’s final offer of settlement or answer.
7. The Property Ombudsman’s Office may try to settle the dispute by agreement between you and Streets Ahead Estates LTD. If this is unsuccessful, The Property Ombudsman will consider all the relevant factors and make a decision according to what he believes to be fair in all the circumstances. 8. The Property Ombudsman will send his decision to you and Streets Ahead Estates LTD. You can accept or reject his decision. If you reject the Property Ombudsman's decision, it will lapse and you are free to do as you wish. If you wish to take legal action, you can do so. Your legal rights will not have been affected by The Property Ombudsman's decision.