Alternative dispute resolution for consumers

Consumer alternative dispute resolution can involve mediation, an ombudsman or another independent decision process. The practical question is whether the proposed service covers this trader and dispute, and whether the trader will participate. Official consumer guidance identifies routes for unresolved complaints. ^[1]

Read the procedure before submitting Find out whether the process is a negotiation or a determination. Check fees, evidence requirements, possible outcomes and whether accepting a decision restricts further action. Ask how accessibility needs and language support are handled.

Send the complaint already made to the trader, its response and a clear calculation of the disputed sum. Avoid sending confidential material about unrelated purchases or other customers.

Keep the claim timetable separate Record the ADR application date and any response deadline. Do not assume discussions suspend the time available for a court claim. If that period may be close, obtain advice about protecting the claim while resolution is attempted.

Use the relevant ombudsman eligibility check where a sector scheme exists. If ADR cannot resolve the matter, review the requirements for court action using the procedure for the appropriate UK jurisdiction.

Identify what the proposed third party will do Ask whether the process helps the parties negotiate, provides an assessment or produces a decision. These functions require different preparation. In mediation, a consumer may need to identify acceptable trade-offs and practical conditions for agreement. In a process that decides the dispute, the main task may be to submit the evidence and explanation required by its rules. The label ADR alone does not establish which role the third party will perform or whether the consumer can reject the resulting outcome. [2]

Read the procedure before agreeing to use it, including any fees, format and decision-acceptance terms. Check whether the trader is required to participate through legislation, membership or contract, or is being invited voluntarily. Keep its response to the invitation. Where the trader proposes its preferred provider, ask for the provider's rules and status rather than treating the nomination as proof of independence. An appropriate process should be understandable to both parties before they invest time in preparing their submissions.

Check recognition using the current framework Business Companion describes a change to the consumer ADR framework from 6 April 2026, with transitional arrangements for previously approved providers and exemptions for certain bodies or schemes. When checking a provider in September 2026, do not assume that every legitimate service must already display the same new accreditation wording. Verify the current status through the relevant authority or scheme information, including any applicable transition or exemption. Record the basis on which the provider says it is entitled to conduct the proposed process. [3]

Check the complaint's subject matter and geographical coverage as well as the provider's general status. A properly recognised scheme may still be unable to accept this trader or transaction. Ask about accessibility needs, representation and the opportunity to respond to the other side's evidence. If a technical issue is central, establish whether the process can consider an independent report and who would pay for it. A route that cannot address the decisive factual question may need further preparation before it can usefully resolve the dispute.

Prepare for the actual procedure offered Reduce the dispute to the issues still contested after the trader's complaint response. Identify what is agreed, what requires a factual finding and what remedy remains in dispute. Supply documents in the form requested, explaining the significance of each key record. Avoid sending successive versions of the same complaint without showing what changed. A reviewer who can locate the relevant promise, failure and calculation is better placed to understand the disagreement than one faced with a large unstructured collection of correspondence.

For a negotiation process, consider more than a single headline amount. A repair arrangement might depend on the person attending, scope, completion date and treatment of failed work. A refund may need to address collection of goods and any outstanding balance. Decide which conditions are essential and which could be discussed. For a decision process, follow the evidence and response timetable carefully. These preparations serve different purposes, so do not assume that being ready to argue liability means being ready to conclude a workable settlement.

Record how the process ends and what remains Before accepting an agreement or decision, read its effect on the dispute and any further action. Clarify whether acceptance is required, who will be bound and what happens if a promised payment or repair is not completed. Preserve the full terms, including dates and any release wording. If the process ends without resolution, keep the closure notice and reasons. A failed negotiation and an adverse binding decision are different outcomes and should not be described interchangeably in later advice or proceedings.

Maintain a separate note of any court or other referral deadline while ADR is underway. Do not rely on participation alone to preserve a claim. Where there is uncertainty, seek timely advice about the available procedural steps. GOV.UK identifies consumer-advice services and ombudsman routes that can help direct an unresolved complaint. Give a subsequent adviser the ADR rules, submissions and actual outcome, together with the remaining loss, so the next decision takes account of what the parties have already agreed or had determined. ^[1]