About RetailADR

RetailADR is an Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) scheme run by CDRL, which specialises in resolving disputes between consumers and traders.

Use of the RetailADR Alternative Dispute Resolution scheme is FREE to consumers and can be submitted without the need for any independent advice or third-party representation.

Check out RetailADR’s website HERE for more info.

If a trader has refused, ignored, or otherwise left you unsatisfied after you made a complaint to them, you can escalate matters for FREE:

Start A Complaint

Who RetailADR helps

RetailADR is for consumers who have an unresolved complaint about a shop or online retailer that is a Participating Member of the scheme. It is approved by the Chartered Trading Standards Institute and handles retail disputes across the UK. You can check whether a trader is signed up on the RetailADR member list.

What complaints RetailADR covers

• Faulty goods and missing parts
• Returning goods
• Delivery problems
• Customer service
• Pricing
• Misrepresentation and inaccurate product descriptions

How to complain about a retailer

1. Complain to the retailer first, using its own complaints procedure if it has one.
2. Wait for its final response (often called a deadlock letter), or give it 8 weeks to respond.
3. Check the retailer is a RetailADR Participating Member.
4. Submit your complaint to RetailADR within 12 months of the retailer’s final response (or of your original complaint, if it never replied). You can apply online, by post or by phone. Include receipts, photos and copies of your correspondence.

How long it takes and what it costs

RetailADR is free for consumers. If we cannot accept your complaint, we will tell you why in writing within 3 weeks. Once your complaint is registered, the retailer has 28 days to respond, and an adjudicator issues a written decision within 60 days of the complaint file being complete. Highly complex cases can take longer, and we will tell both sides if so. Our step-by-step complaints process explains each stage.

What happens after a decision

You have 7 days to accept or reject the decision. If you accept it, it becomes legally binding on the retailer, which must carry out any resolution, such as a compensation payment, within 30 days. If you reject it, you are still free to take your complaint to court.