Help & Guides
General
ABC+ Warranty Consumer Code for New Homes
Ark Insurance Group
Association of Residential Managing Agents (ARMA)
Aviation (Flights)
Benenden Health
British Holiday & Home Parks Association
Build-Zone Structural Warranty Policies
Cars (The Good Garage Scheme)
Cavity Wall Installation (CIGA & IAA)
Consumer Code for Home Builders Independent Dispute Resolution
Consumer Code for New Homes
Domain Name (Nominet)
Education (ICASO)
Gambling
Homes England
ICW Consumer Code for New Homes
Institute Of Residential Property Management (IRPM)
Jewellers
Lotteries
NAFD Resolve
National Custom & Self Build Association (NaCSBA)
Package Holidays
Postal Redress (POSTRS)
Private Healthcare Mediation
Regulator of Social Housing
Renewables
Solicitors
Storage
Surveyors (RICS)
Telecoms (CISAS)
The Glazing Arbitration Scheme
Water Redress (WATRS)
Westerleigh Group
Frequently asked questions
Useful documentation
How we can help you make a complaint
How we can help you make a complaint
When can a complaint be brought to the Scheme?
a) You must have complained formally to the Member and attempted to resolve your complaint in accordance with this ARMA Complaints Guidance;
b) Any and all appropriate independent cases and investigations in respect of your complaint, whether or not such cases or investigations have been initiated, must have been exhausted, including any ongoing cases and investigations by:
- the Ombudsman (The Property Ombudsman or Property Redress Scheme);
- the First-tier Tribunal (Property Chamber);
- the Court;
- the Police; and
- other authorities e.g.: (i) Health & Safety Executive; (ii) Environment Agency; (iii) Local Authorities (e.g., section 21 and 22 LTA compliance); (iv) Information Commissioner’s Office; (v) Trading Standards; (vi) Financial Conduct Authority; (vii) Competition and Markets Authority (re. competition issues); or (viii) Local fire services.
How do I apply to use the Scheme?
To apply to use the Scheme, please provide your complaint details to ARMA marked clearly as ‘ARMA Adjudication Scheme’. You should also set out how you have fulfilled points a) and b) outlined under the question "When can a complaint be brought to the Scheme?".
You can do this by post to ARMA, 3rd Floor, 2-4 St George’s Road, Wimbledon, London SW19 4DP or by email to info@arma.org.uk
Your complaint details will be reviewed by ARMA to initially assess whether you have complied with the requirements detailed in points a) and b) above. If these requirements have been satisfied then your contact details will be passed to CEDR directly.
An application form will then be provided to you by CEDR, which you will need to complete and send back. If you require any special assistance with your application, you can contact CEDR and reasonable adjustments will be made in line with the CEDR reasonable adjustments policy, which can be found on the CEDR website.
What should I include in my application?
- A description of the precise issues that form the nature of your complaint about the Member;
- A description of the precise conduct by the Member that you believe to be a breach of the ARMA Rules;
- A copy of the decision or outcome from the appropriate body set out in point b) above;
- Any supporting documents on which you wish to rely.
What types of complaint are not suitable for the Scheme?
- Where you have not attempted to resolve the complaint first as detailed at points a) and b) above;
- Where the most recent alleged incident to which your complaint relates happened more than 24 months ago;
- For a Member that has recently been granted membership or associate status by ARMA, the most recent alleged incident to which your complaint relates happened more than 12 months before the date on which the Member was granted membership or associate status by ARMA;
- Where the details of the complaint set out in your application form materially differ from the details that you provided when fulfilling points a) and b) above;
- Complaints that are frivolous and/or vexatious;
- Where dealing with your complaint would seriously impair the effective operation of CEDR.
The outcome
The outcome
Who will decide the outcome of my complaint?
The adjudication will be undertaken by an independent adjudicator appointed by CEDR from its Adjudication Panel.
The appointed Adjudicator will make a decision on the complaint by considering the information received from the Complainant and from the Member. This decision will be either to make one or more recommendations that the ARMA Complaints Committee take action in relation to the Member or to make no recommendation.
It is the ARMA Complaints Committee who have final say as to whether the Member has to do anything. The adjudicator’s decision is a recommendation only.
Will I see the adjudicator’s decision?
No. The adjudicator’s decision will be sent to the ARMA Complaints Committee who will consider any recommendations made. It will then be the ARMA Complaints Committee who will provide a summary of the outcome of the complaint. It is this outcome that will be sent to you.
What recommendations can the adjudicator make?
The recommendations the Adjudicator can make are limited to:
- A letter of apology;
- Training to be undertaken by the Member;
- That the Member is suspended from ARMA for a specified period of time;
- That the Member is expelled from ARMA.
Please note that the Adjudicator’s role is to decide whether or not the Member has breached ARMA’s Rules, and if so, whether it is appropriate to recommend disciplinary action.
The Adjudicator cannot recommend that you receive any direct remedy such as compensation. Further, the Adjudicator cannot reconsider any decision made by an Ombudsman, the Court, or other dispute resolution procedure.
What can the adjudicator not do?
The Adjudicator cannot recommend that you receive any direct remedy such as compensation. Further, the Adjudicator cannot reconsider any decision made by an Ombudsman, the Court, or other dispute resolution procedure.
What are the possible outcomes of my complaint?
It will be the ARMA Complaints Committee who have final say on the outcome of your complaint. They will consider the recommendations of the adjudicator and decide whether or not to implement any of the following actions:
- A letter of apology;
- Training to be undertaken by the Member;
- That the Member is suspended from ARMA for a specified period of time;
- That the Member is expelled from ARMA.
The ARMA Complaints committee may decide to implement more or fewer recommendations than the adjudicator has made.
Are you a business?
CEDR can provide dispute resolution services for business in most sectors.
- Fast, and cost effective solutions
- Provided at a sustainable cost