Dispute resolution details: what to say on your website

Key takeaways

UK traders selling to consumers must give ADR information when a complaint cannot be settled in-house: the name and website of a suitable ADR provider and whether you will use it. If law, a trade body or a regulator obliges you to use ADR, you must also say so on your website and in your terms.

• Consumer complaints you cannot settle in-house trigger ADR information duties.
• Name an ADR provider and say whether you will use it.
• If you must use ADR, state it on your website and in your terms.
• The old EU online dispute resolution link no longer applies to UK traders.

What is alternative dispute resolution?

Alternative dispute resolution (ADR) is a way to settle a complaint without going to court, through an independent body such as an ombudsman, mediator or arbitration scheme. Global Bridge Labs (GBL) treats ADR information as part of the complaints item in the 30-item inventory for consumer-facing businesses.

• What information should every business website have?
• Publish a complaints procedure on your website

What must traders tell consumers?

Under the ADR Regulations 2015, when a consumer complaint cannot be resolved through your own process, you must tell the consumer, on paper or another durable medium, that you cannot settle it, give the name and website of a relevant ADR provider, and say whether you will use it.

• Inaccurate information on your website: the legal risk

When must ADR appear on the website?

If you are obliged to use an ADR scheme, through law, a trade association rule or a regulator, you must give the ADR provider's name and website on your website, if you have one, and in your terms and conditions. Financial firms, for example, refer customers to the Financial Ombudsman Service.

• What an insurance broker's website should include

What about the EU online dispute resolution link?

Before 2021, UK online traders had to link to the EU's online dispute resolution platform. That requirement no longer applies to UK traders. Remove old ODR links and wording copied from older templates, because they now confuse customers.

• Out of date website content: what to check and fix

Which ADR provider should you name?

Name the scheme your sector uses, such as an ombudsman or a trade association's scheme, or an approved ADR provider that covers your type of dispute. Check the provider is approved for consumer disputes in your sector before naming it.

• Show your regulator and registration number online

When does ADR information not apply?

ADR information duties apply to traders selling to consumers. Purely business-to-business firms are not covered, though contracts may include their own dispute clauses. Keep consumer and business terms separate if you sell to both, so each set of customers sees the rules that apply to them.

What does this look like in practice?

A pattern we see in consumer-facing firms: terms still carry an EU ODR link from a 2019 template and say nothing about the trade body ADR scheme the business actually belongs to. Updating both is a short job that brings the terms up to date.

• See client work
• Website Design & Development for UK businesses

ADR information checklist

• Check whether you sell to consumers.
• Check whether any rule obliges you to use ADR.
• Name the provider on your website if obliged.
• Add ADR wording to your terms.
• Remove old EU ODR links.
• Include ADR in deadlock letters.

• An accessibility statement for a business website
• Prices with or without VAT: what your website shows

Next step

Search your terms and website for 'ODR' or 'europa.eu' and remove anything left over. Then check whether your sector obliges you to name an ADR scheme.