BWF launches new ADR service with RICS to help you get on top of the new consumer rights rules

With the new European Directive on Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) now  absorbed into UK law, you are required to signpost the customer to an approved, independent ADR provider – an ombudsman or similar scheme – so there is the option if both parties wish to pursue it.

BWF has worked with the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) to develop a compliant ADR process to support members. This is designed to offer a quicker and cheaper alternative to the court system when disputes cannot be resolved between the consumer and the business directly. The main driver for establishing the services is that BWF members can signpost their customer to a surveyor who knows the products and markets. Even though it’s not mandatory for businesses or consumers to use the service, all businesses also need to ensure that their contracts of terms and conditions are compliant with the new rules.

The new service complements work that BWF has done in updating all of your templates in the wake of the Consumer Rights Act, which came in in October 2015. The Act impacts all joinery firms that deal with the public, including selling doors, windows and other timber products for the home. Key points include:

– Consumers having a clear right to demand that substandard services are redone or failing that receive a price reduction.
– A 30-day time period to return faulty goods and get a full refund.
– Consumers being entitled to some money back after one failed repair of faulty goods (or one faulty replacement) even if more than 30 days have passed.

The free-to-members guidance we provide includes new T & C templates and also covers advice on distance selling and exemptions for bespoke products. BWF members should as standard practice include a cancellation notice whenever they make a contract with a consumer away from their own business premises, or by distance selling means (e.g. over the phone or by email).

Members can log in to find these on the BWF website within our general business support publications

RICS are also supporting BWF Members’ Day running a workshop specifically on identifying, managing and resolving disputes. Find out more about Managing Difficult Clients at Workshop I

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