Alternative Dispute Resolution for Consumer Disputes (Competent Authorities and Information) Regulations 2015
What this means for your business
- Applies to
- United Kingdom
- On this page
- 8 compliance obligations, 1 practical guide
What you must do
8 compliance obligations under this legislation.
Management duties 3
Address compliance notice and restore ADR approval
If the regulator tells your ADR business that you no longer meet a Schedule 3 requirement, you must fix the issue promptly and be back in compliance within three months (or sooner). If you fail to do so, the authority can withdraw your approval and remove you from the official list of approved ADR providers.
Cooperate with other ADR providers and regulators
If your business provides an Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) service, you must regularly exchange best‑practice ideas with other ADR providers and work with the competition and consumer enforcement bodies. This includes sharing information about sectors where consumers repeatedly complain, so regulators can spot trends and take action.
Operate your consumer ADR service to meet regulator standards
If your business provides alternative dispute resolution (ADR) for consumer complaints, you must run it in a way that is independent, transparent and accessible. This includes keeping an up‑to‑date website with full information, allowing complaints online or by post, ensuring ADR officials are qualified and impartial, having a clear conflict‑of‑interest policy, and notifying parties of outcomes within 90 days (or a longer period if the case is very complex).
Notifications 1
Make the ADR list publicly available
If your business provides Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) services, you must ensure the official list of all approved ADR providers is easy for the public to find. This means linking to the Secretary of State’s list on your website and, where practical, having a printed copy available at your premises for anyone who asks.
Other requirements 1
Provide ADR information to consumers
If your business is required to use an alternative dispute resolution (ADR) scheme, you must put the ADR provider’s name and website on your own website (if you have one) and in any standard contract terms you use. When a consumer complaint reaches the point where you can’t resolve it internally, you must tell the consumer in writing (or another durable medium) that you can’t settle, give the ADR provider’s details and say whether you will take part in its process.
Registration and licensing 1
Apply to become an ADR entity and provide required information
If you want your business to be recognised as an Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) provider for consumer disputes, you must submit an application to the relevant competent authority. You need to include all the information set out in Schedule 2 and any extra details the authority asks for, and show that you meet (or will meet) the requirements in Schedule 3. The authority will then give you a written decision, either approving or rejecting your application.
Reporting and filing 2
Include required data in your ADR annual activity report
If your business provides Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) services, you must produce an annual activity report that contains specific statistics – the number and types of domestic disputes you handled, any recurring problems you identified, your recommendations for traders, refusals, discontinued cases, average resolution time and compliance rates. This information has to be compiled and published each year.
Submit updates and annual reports to the regulator
If you run an ADR service, you must tell the regulator in writing as soon as any of the information you originally provided to them changes. You also need to publish an annual activity report on your website each year, and every two years you must send a more detailed report to the regulator, both in the format they request.
Practical guidance
Our guides explain how to comply with the requirements above.
Sections and provisions
26 classified provisions from this legislation.
Duties 11
- s.2 Review
- Schedule 3 Requirements that a competent authority must be satisfied that the person meets
- Schedule 5 Information to be included in an ADR entity's annual activity report
- s.9 Assessment of application to become an ADR entity
- s.10 Listing of ADR entities
- s.11 Ongoing information obligations of an ADR entity
- s.12 Ongoing assessment of an ADR entity
- s.13 Removal of approval
- s.14 Notification of the consolidated ADR entity list
- s.19 Consumer information by traders information requirements applicable
- The ADR entity’s duty to cooperate The ADR entity’s duty to cooperate