Start out right

The best way to avoid having to complain is to do your homework before you enrol.

Many complaints originate because of a mismatch between the expectations of the learner, and the reality of the service on offer.

If that mismatch is because the provider was not fully clear about what was on offer, or has failed to honour its promises, then there may be grounds for a complaint.

But in many cases the learner did not ask the right questions, or read the terms and conditions, in advance, and discovered too late that some aspect of the course was not what they expected.

Difficulties along the way

If you do subsequently run into difficulties, try to resolve them with your provider first.    Some problems,  like personal friction between learner and tutor or administrative oversights, can often be resolved quite simply.

Most providers want to offer a good service,  so don't be afraid to ask.    If in doubt,   go to the top.

Contacting a Provider

When making a complaint, try to:

• be clear and concise about what has gone wrong;
• if you think the provider has breached any Terms & Conditions you signed up to when you enrolled, highlight these;
• put together adequate evidence to back up your claim;
• be clear about the outcome or outcomes you seek (change of course or tutor, postponement, refund or whatever)
• Read their information on how they wish to receive complaints e.g. if it needs to be sent recorded delivery.

Accredited providers

If you cannot resolve the matter with the provider and they are accredited by ODL QC, you can appeal to us.

Set out your complaint letter to us as suggested above and if possible indicate any ODL QC Standards which you believe have been breached;

Visit the Complaints Procedure page for full details.

We guarantee to look into every complaint made to us concerning one of our accredited providers.

We cannot promise to find in your favour,  but where we can we will try to negotiate between you and the provider,  and resolve the cases to the satisfaction of all concerned.

Non-accredited Providers

Even if the provider is not accredited by us,  you can still write to us.

We will do what we can.

Because accreditation is voluntary in this country, our ability to negotiate with non-accredited providers is reduced, but sometimes our intervention can help.

And we want to know.

The number of complaints we receive concerning any provider is an important indicator of their quality and competence.

There are other ways to get help.

• If the provider features the logos of other organisations on their notepaper or publicity material,try approaching those organisations.
  
  If they allow their logo to be used in this way, they should take some measure of responsibility when things go wrong.
  
  
• You can often get advice from your local Citizens Advice Bureau,  Trading Standards Office,   careers advice,  or the Learning and Skills Council.
  
  
• Or you can write to your local MP.