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Complaints Handling Procedure.

If you have a complaint, then this page sets out the procedure which GFW will follow in dealing with that complaint.

The process is a two-stage process. Stage One (points 1 to 7) covers the internal process. If you remain dissatisfied, then you can take your complaint to the relevant independent redress mechanism as outlined in Stage Two (Point 1).

STAGE ONE

  1. A Partner of GFW has been appointed in each of our service areas to deal with complaints, and you should not hesitate to contact the relevant person. Details are set out below:
    • Development – Richard Garland, GFW, Dean Street Arch, 22 Dean Street, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 1PG
      T: 0333 920 2220
      E: [email protected]
    • Rural – Sally Hart, GFW, 14c Redwell Court, Harmire Enterprise Park, Barnard Castle, County Durham, DL12 8BN
      T: 0333 920 2220
      E: [email protected]
    • Residential – Sally Hart, GFW, 14c Redwell Court, Harmire Enterprise Park, Barnard Castle, County Durham, DL12 8BN
      T: 0333 920 2220
      E: [email protected]
    • Commercial – Richard Garland, GFW, Dean Street Arch, 22 Dean Street, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 1PG
      T: 0333 920 2220
      E: [email protected]
  2. Should your complaint be against one of the Partners named above, please contact another Partner in one of our other services.
  3. Where your complaint is initially made orally, you will be requested to send a written summary of your complaint to the person dealing with it.
  4. Once we have received your written summary of the complaint, we will contact you in writing within 14 working days to inform you of our understanding of the circumstances leading to your complaint. You will be invited to make any comments that you may have in relation to this.
  5. Within 28 working days of receipt of your written summary, the Partner dealing with your complaint will write to you, in order to inform you of the outcome of the investigation into your complaint and to let you know what actions have been or will be taken. If for any reason we cannot come back to you within 28 working days, we will write to you prior to the end of the 28 working day period advising on the progress of the investigation.
  6. If we do not hear from you within 28 working days of your receipt of our investigation report, we will assume the issue has been concluded satisfactorily.
  7. Should the Partner dealing with your complaint fail to come back to you within 56 working days of receipt of your written summary you can proceed directly to Stage Two.

STAGE TWO

  1. If you remain dissatisfied with any aspect of your complaint, and we are unable to resolve this promptly through negotiations, then we agree to the referral of your complaint to the following independent redress mechanisms that are approved by the RICS Regulatory Board:
    • Business/Commercial Matters (there is a charge for this service)
      RICS Dispute Resolution Service (DRS), Surveyor Court, Westwood Way, Coventry, CV4 8JE
      T: 0207 334 3806
      E: [email protected]
      W: www.rics.org/drs
    • Consumer/Residential Property Matters (free to consumers)
      Property Redress Scheme, Premiere House, 1st Floor, Elstree Way, Borehamwood, WD6 1JH
      T: 0333 321 9418
      E: [email protected]
      W: www.theprs.co.uk

DATA PROTECTION COMPLAINTS

If your complaint relates to the way GFW has collected, stored, used, shared, retained or otherwise processed your personal data, you may submit a Data Protection Complaint directly to us.

Examples may include:

  • Concerns regarding the accuracy of personal information we hold about you;
  • Concerns that your personal data has been disclosed to another person without authority;
  • Requests relating to your data protection rights which you believe have not been handled appropriately;
  • Concerns regarding data security or confidentiality;
  • Complaints about how we have processed your personal information.

How to make a Data Protection Complaint

Data Protection Complaints should be submitted in writing to:

Data Protection Officer
GFW
Dean Street, Arch 22 Dean Street
Newcastle upon Tyne
NE1 1PG

Email: [email protected]

Please provide as much information as possible about your concern so that we can investigate it fully.

What happens next?

Upon receipt of a Data Protection Complaint, we will:

  • Acknowledge your complaint within 30 days.
  • Conduct appropriate enquiries and investigations into the matters raised.
  • Keep you informed of progress where the investigation is likely to take some time.
  • Provide you with a written outcome once our investigation has been completed.

If you remain dissatisfied

If you are unhappy with our final response to your Data Protection Complaint, or believe we have not handled your complaint appropriately, you may contact the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO), which is the UK’s independent authority responsible for upholding information rights.
Information about how to make a complaint to the ICO can be found on the ICO website.