Ombudsman Services | Nov 06, 2019
Money Saving Expert has published a report which calls for ‘a radical change to an outdated and archaic rule’, which sees consumers waiting eight weeks before they can escalate a complaint to an ombudsman.
The Delayed Justice report reveals that consumers overwhelmingly back the campaign to reduce the escalation time from eight weeks to a maximum of 28 days.
Matthew Vickers, chief executive at the Energy Ombudsman, said:
“For many consumers, eight weeks is a long time to wait to have a complaint heard and resolved, especially if there are financial implications and impacts.
“Ombudsman Services agrees that it’s time the eight-week rule was reviewed. We live in a modern age where consumers don’t just want speed of service but expect speed of service and make buying decisions based on the ‘how fast can I..?’”
“Companies are required to notify consumers of the right to come to the ombudsman; that’s not in question. It’s how long before an independent party can get involved which needs reviewing, for the benefit of all parties involved.
“If two to four weeks helps reduce complaints, helps rebuild the relationship between the provider and the consumer and avoids further customer detriment, then we’re all for a change in the rule.”