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Full Membership
How Full Membership of The Furniture Ombudsman will benefit your business - and save costs:
Full members are required to subscribe to the TFO's Code of Practice and TFO's aim is to support them fully in achieving the highest possible standards of product quality and service - in order to avoid, wherever possible, cause for customer complaint. However, in today's increasingly litigious society, disputes are inevitable, and when they do arise, TFO's aim is to help you to manage them as quickly and efficiently as possible, thereby limiting damage to brand reputation.
Download the Full Membership brochure here for more information.
To this end TFO offers its acclaimed Alternative Dispute Resolution Service (ADR). This is recognised by the European Commission and is backed by our comprehensive range of information and support services all aimed at reducing the level of complaints, offering consumers peace of mind - and enhancing and preserving your reputation.
Alternative Dispute Resolution Service (ADR)
TFO's ADR service is available exclusively to Full Members of TFO. It encompasses both conciliation and adjudication services and offers a highly cost-effective alternative to the Small Claims Court as a means of bringing intractable disputes to a conclusion. (Defending a small claim through the court is potentially costly, not only in terms of finance but also time, resources and does little to inspire consumer confidence.
Conciliation:
Most disputes are satisfactorily resolved at the conciliation stage. This may involve TFO making an early decision on the validity of a claim, dismissing a complaint or upholding an offer which has already been made or through general mediation. TFO charges a low, flat-rate for conciliation, regardless of the length of time the case takes to reach a resolution that is satisfactory for both parties.
Adjudication:
In cases where settlement cannot be reached without the assistance of a credible third party such as the Court or an arbitrator, TFO moves the case to the adjudication stage. At this point an independent consultant gathers additional evidence in order that an informed balanced judgment on the merits of the case can be made.
Responding to a case before TFO is much more economical than defending a case before the Courts. There is no need for you or the consumer to file volumes of legal documents, arrange your own inspections or appoint expert witnesses. You are never required to appear before TFO in person, witness statements from your staff are not required and you do not need to engage a lawyer. All this takes away much of the stress and the strain of being involved in a court case.
View the benefits of Full Membership of The Furniture Ombudsman
Click here to download an application form for Full Membership
