Who are the Furniture & Home Improvement Ombudsman
The FHIO is an independent body that investigates customer complaints in a fair and open way to try and reach a resolution without going to court.
The FHIO are a government-approved, approved by the Chartered Trading Standards Institute and are full members of the Ombudsman Association.
Why may you need the help of the FHIO?
Even when we try our best, sometimes things can go wrong, and you are unhappy with the service you receive. If this is ever the case, you should always come to us first so we have a chance to reply and put things right.
However, you may wish to complain to the FHIO if:
You’re not happy with our reply or you’re not happy with the way we have treated your complaint.
How can the FHIO help you?
If the FHIO agree that your complaint is something they can look into, it will be investigated fairly and impartially. The FHIO does not take sides – they simply just look at the evidence given. They will listen to both sides to see if a solution can be reached that both agree to. The FHIO will try to encourage us and you to reach an agreement, but if this does not happen, then they will make a decision based on the evidence received.
What will the Ombudsman do?
When the FHIO receive your application form, evidence and our response, they will pass your file to one of the Ombudsmen who will undertake an initial case review.
The Ombudsmen will look at the history of the problem and all evidence presented. They will contact you and us to enable the complaint to be resolved quickly and informally.
Once the Ombudsman has made a decision, they will send a written copy of this to you and the us. This includes their view on the validity of the complaint and any action that should be taken to resolve it.
Any award that the FHIO may make in your favour is to compensate you for any loss you may have suffered and which they feel is appropriate in your particular case.
The decisions that the FHIO make are in relation to the dispute between you and us and they do not intervene where finance or credit agreements are concerned.
This decision is binding on Full Members of the Ombudsman Scheme and legally enforceable against them
Is the Ombudsman approved by the government to provide Alternative Dispute Resolution services?
Yes. The FHIO are approved by the Chartered Trading Standards Institute to provide services under the Alternative Dispute Resolution for Consumer Disputes Regulations 2015.
