Questions About The Ombudsman

• What is an Ombudsman?
• Why does the Double Glazing Industry need an Ombudsman?
• Who is the Ombudsman for DGCOS?
• What can The Ombudsman Investigate?
• How is the Ombudsman Independent?
   

What is an Ombudsman?

An Ombudsman is someone to whom you can address a complaint about an organisation or body if you feel you have been dealt with unfairly or have suffered some financial or other loss you would like investigating.
There are a number of Ombudsman Schemes in the United Kingdom. Some Ombudsmen are Government appointed, for example, The Local Government Ombudsman and The Financial Services Ombudsman, whereas others are industry appointed, such as the Telecommunications Ombudsman and the Surveyor Ombudsman. The Double Glazing Ombudsman is a similar non-statutory scheme.

Why does the Double Glazing Industry need an Ombudsman?

The industry has little regulation. Whilst standards of product are getting better problems still occur with mis-selling methods, badly installed products, unfulfilled remedial work and lengthy guarantees which are not honoured (due to traders going out of business or having an unwillingness to make good on their promises). The general public still have a deep-rooted and long standing distrust of the industry. If the installer has been unprofessional or carried out unsatisfactory work and refuses to co-operate with the customer or trade association there is little anyone can do…..until now.
The Ombudsman Scheme has extensive legal powers to investigate complaints made against members. Any decisions made are legally binding and enforceable under the terms of The Arbitration Act 1996. Members have signed a legally binding contract at the point of entry into The Scheme allowing the Ombudsman to investigate and thereby agreeing to abide by any decisions made. The Ombudsman Scheme is a powerful way to help bring renewed consumer confidence and enhance the image of the industry. Members promote professionalism, competency and customer care, combined with a robust form of legal redress for justified complaints.

Who is the Ombudsman for DGCOS?

Dr Ronald Barham, LLM, PhD, FCIArb. is a Freeman of the City of London and an experienced Arbitrator who also sits as Chairman of a statutory Tribunal. He was formerly in practice as a chartered surveyor and consulting engineer [formerly a Fellow of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors and of the Rating & Valuation Association, the Chartered Institute of Building, the Architects & Surveyors Institute and the Construction Surveyors Institute as well as a Member of the International Real Estate Federation and the Society of Engineers, registered as a Professional Engineer (UK)]. He has experience as a consultant to, and director of, several industrial and commercial concerns. He has also been a member of the arbitration panels of several professional and government bodies.

What can The Ombudsman Investigate?

The Ombudsman can investigate a complaint only if:-
• The complaint is against one of the Member Organisations.
• The complaint is about something which happened during the period of membership.
• The complaint relates to a member operating in England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. The Ombudsman Scheme does not cover the Channel Islands, Isle of Man or foreign countries.

How is the Ombudsman Independent?

The Ombudsman is completely independent, he does not sit on the management committee or board of directors of DGCOS and the only interaction he has with members is in a dispute resolution capacity. The Ombudsman is required to report to an Advisory Council, independent of those subject to investigation. The Advisory Council’s Terms of Reference make it responsible, also, for safeguarding the independence of the Ombudsman.