Complaints Procedure

1. Our Commitment to You

At Scrap Car SW18 Wandsworth & Earlsfield, we are committed to providing excellent customer service. However, we understand that occasionally things may not go as planned. When this happens, we want to hear from you and work to resolve your concerns quickly and fairly.

This Complaints Procedure explains:

• How to make a complaint
• What happens when you complain
• Our timeframes for responding
• How we resolve complaints
• What to do if you're not satisfied with our response

2. What Is a Complaint?

A complaint is any expression of dissatisfaction with our service, whether justified or not. This includes concerns about:

• Quality of service provided
• Behavior of our staff or drivers
• Collection delays or missed appointments
• Payment issues or valuation disputes
• DVLA notification or Certificate of Destruction problems
• Damage to your property during collection
• Data protection or privacy concerns
• Any other aspect of our service

3. How to Make a Complaint

You can make a complaint in several ways:

3.1 By Email (Preferred)

3.2 By Phone

3.3 By Post

3.4 Information to Include

To help us resolve your complaint quickly, please provide:

• Your details: Name, phone number, email address
• Booking information: Booking reference number, VRM, collection date
• Complaint details: Clear description of what went wrong
• When it happened: Date and time of the incident
• Impact: How this affected you
• Resolution sought: What outcome you're looking for
• Evidence: Any photos, documents, or correspondence (if applicable)

4. Our Complaints Process

5. Types of Resolutions

Depending on the nature of your complaint, we may offer:

5.1 Financial Remedies

• Refund: Partial or full refund of payment (where applicable)
• Compensation: Financial compensation for proven losses or inconvenience
• Goodwill gesture: Discretionary payment to acknowledge poor service

5.2 Service Remedies

• Re-collection: Arrange a new collection at no cost
• Priority service: Expedited handling of your case
• Corrective action: Fix the specific issue (e.g., resend Certificate of Destruction)

5.3 Apology and Explanation

• Formal apology: Written or verbal apology from senior management
• Detailed explanation: Full account of what went wrong and why
• Assurance: Commitment to prevent similar issues in the future

5.4 Process Improvements

• Staff training: Additional training for staff involved
• Policy changes: Updates to procedures to prevent recurrence
• System improvements: Changes to technology or processes

6. Escalation Options

6.1 Internal Escalation

If you're not satisfied with our initial response, you can request escalation to:

6.2 Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR)

If we cannot resolve your complaint to your satisfaction, you may refer the matter to an independent Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) service:

Note: ADR services are typically free to consumers and provide independent, impartial decisions. However, you must usually complete our internal complaints process before referring to an ADR service.

6.3 Legal Action

If you're not satisfied with our response or ADR outcome, you have the right to pursue legal action through the courts. We recommend seeking legal advice before taking this step.

For small claims (under £10,000), you may use the Small Claims Court.

7. Your Rights as a Consumer

Under UK consumer protection law, you have rights including:

• Right to a service with reasonable care and skill (Consumer Rights Act 2015)
• Right to accurate information about our services
• Right to fair treatment and non-discrimination
• Right to redress if our service does not meet legal standards
• Right to cancel within cooling-off periods (where applicable)

For more information about consumer rights:

• Citizens Advice: https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/
• Which? Consumer Rights: https://www.which.co.uk/consumer-rights
• Trading Standards: Contact via Citizens Advice

8. What We Learn from Complaints

We view complaints as opportunities to improve. Every complaint is:

• Logged and tracked in our complaints register
• Analyzed to identify patterns or systemic issues
• Reviewed by senior management quarterly
• Used to inform training, policies, and process improvements
• Reported to regulatory bodies as required

We publish anonymized complaints statistics annually to demonstrate our commitment to transparency and continuous improvement.

9. Data Protection

When you make a complaint, we collect and process your personal data. This is done:

• Lawful basis: Legitimate interests (complaint handling and service improvement)
• Data retention: Complaint records retained for 7 years
• Data sharing: May be shared with ADR services, regulators, or legal representatives (with your consent or as legally required)

For more information, see our Privacy Policy.

10. Vexatious or Abusive Complaints

While we welcome all genuine complaints, we reserve the right to restrict or refuse to handle complaints that are:

• Repeatedly made about the same issue after a final decision has been issued
• Clearly frivolous, vexatious, or made in bad faith
• Abusive, threatening, or offensive toward our staff
• Designed to cause disruption or harassment

If we decide to restrict contact, we will write to you explaining our decision and the reasons for it. You will still have the right to refer your complaint to an ADR service or pursue legal action.

11. Contact the Complaints Team

12. Changes to This Procedure

We may update this Complaints Procedure from time to time to reflect:

• Changes in legislation or regulations
• Improvements to our complaints handling process
• Feedback from customers and ADR services
• Best practice guidance

Updated versions will be posted on this page with a new "Last updated" date.