Complaints Process

Quality assurance and effective consumer protection is at the heart of everything TrustMark aims to deliver.

However, we recognise that occasionally things may go wrong and it is important that if this happens you can access a clear, user-friendly process that ensures that complaints are resolved efficiently and fairly.

This video explains the 3 stage process of raising a complaint against a tradesperson.

Each stage should be completed in the order shown, as skipping any stage will impact your ability to escalate to stage 3 if you need to.

When raising your complaint with the Registered Business we recommend that you follow the below guidance.

• Contact the business and explain your concerns

• Set out why you are not satisfied and what you would like them to do to put it right

• Allow the Registered Business a reasonable amount of time to respond and rectify any issues

• If you haven’t already done so, ensure that you have all the relevant evidence to hand such as quotations, contracts, pictures and follow-up in writing

• Keep a record of any communications, deadlines and agreements made with the business.

To assist you, we have provided a template letter should you wish to use it to make contact with the Registered Business. Further support and guidance regarding raising your complaint is available from our partners Consumer Friend or from Citizens Advice.

If your dispute remains unresolved after the previous two stages, you may escalate your complaint to the DRO provided the following criteria have been met:

1. You have raised your dispute with the TrustMark Registered Business. (Stage 1)

   
   
2. You have escalated the dispute to the business’s Scheme Provider. (Stage 2) If you approach the DRO without previously escalating your complaint to the Scheme Provider, you will be directed to TrustMark who will signpost you to the appropriate Scheme Provider. The Scheme Provider will then have an additional 30 days to investigate the dispute.

   
   
3. You have either:

   
   (a) received a final response from the TrustMark Registered Business and/or Scheme Provider and you are still not satisfied with the response.

   
   (b) 12 weeks have elapsed since you made your initial complaint.

   
   
4. The dispute is escalated to the DRO within 12 months of initial complaint to the Registered Business.

The DRO cannot consider complaints if:

1. Your complaint is against a business that has entered into administration, liquidation or who has ceased trading.

   
   
2. Your complaint is against a business that is either not currently registered with TrustMark or was not registered with TrustMark at the time the works were undertaken.

   
   
3. Your complaint is not made as, or on behalf of, a private individual.

   
   
4. Your claim is in relation to commercial disputes (such as financial or contractual) or claims for compensation.

   
   
5. Your complaint is being, or has been dealt with by a court or another tribunal/Ombudsman scheme or you have previously accepted a resolution via a Scheme Provider’s ADR service as a full or final settlement, or previously entered into a binding ADR process such as arbitration.

   
   
6. Legal action has been instigated by either the consumer or the Registered Business as a result of the complaint.


Further information on the DRO, how they can help and options of how you can raise your complaint with them can be found below.

Our role is not to investigate specific consumer complaints but to ensure that the Scheme Provider has handled the complaint appropriately, correctly and in accordance with their dispute procedures. They in turn must ensure that Registered Businesses have done the same.

You can find more information about TrustMark's role and responsibilities in relation to complaints here: