Martin Saarinen

New reports suggests that Ombudsman has room for some improvement

IF you have a problem with your house or landlord, rather than going to the courts, you can get in touch with the Property Ombudsman. The same applies for those mistreated or misdiagnosed at hospitals: the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman is there to help if the NHS isn’t picking up your complaint.

It’s just over a year since the Motor Ombudsman was created to help motorists deal with dealer and manufacturer disputes. This year alone, the organisation has dealt with more than 28,000 cases and has given a verdict in more than 1,400 of them.

It’s great drivers have somewhere to go when brands and dealers refuse to help, but the Motor Ombudsman isn’t without faults. A recent report suggests all of the UK’S ombudsmen could do more for consumers.

In its report to the All-party Parliamentary Group on Consumer Protection, the Moneysavingexpert website said escalating a complaint to an ombudsman takes too long. They currently have up to two months to respond to a complaint and it can take 12 weeks to reach a verdict.

The report rightly states that the eight-week rule was created in a non-digital age and should be reduced. People in crisis should be able to receive help quicker. Another suggestion in the report is for all ombudsmen to receive statutory powers to ensure firms are at their most cooperative. Currently, less than half of the ombudsmen’s verdicts are the equivalent to a court verdict.

Voluntary organisations, such as the Motor Ombudsman, have their own rules to which they expect participating dealers to adhere.

“The report rightly states that the eightweek rule was created in a non-digital age”