Alternative Dispute Resolution Scheme

Alternative Dispute Resolution

Resolving a dispute with a trader

Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) is a quicker and cheaper alternative to court, where consumers and businesses can resolve their disputes. As an ADR body, we have to meet strict criteria, which guarantees that we handle your dispute in an effective, fair, independent and transparent way

Our ADR scheme is available to consumers who are in dispute with a business in relation to goods or services they have bought.

The preferred route

The advice given by the Ministry of Justice (called Practice Direction on Pre-action Conduct) states that starting court proceedings should be taken as a last resort.

This means that a court could take a dim view of starting proceedings without attempting to settle via an alternative method such ADR. In addition, a court may require evidence that the parties did consider some form of ADR and continue to try to resolve matters by reaching a settlement at all times.