Complaints Procedure
If you are unhappy with your installation or the service you have received from either your installer or from Flexi-Orb, then you have the right to register your complaint and have your concerns addressed.
Please follow our guidance below to raise your issues.
I have a complaint about my installer and/or installation
If you have an issue(s) with your installer and/or your installation, you should first inform your installer. Do this by sending a formal letter of complaint, outlining your concerns. You should then allow your installer 10 working days to make an initial response to your complaint.
Your installer will need time to investigate and resolve your complaint and this will depend on the complexity of the issue. On request, they should be able to provide you with their complaints process, which should include timeframes to acknowledge the complaint and to either resolve, close, or keep you updated on its progress.
If, after allowing your installer the opportunity to resolve your issue(s), you are not happy with the outcome, you should register your complaint with your installer’s Consumer Code (for sales or general conduct complaints, or if your installer ceases to trade), or their Certification Body (for workmanship, installation, technical, or safety related complaints). The consumer code or certification body will then conduct a formal investigation in line with its own complaints procedure.
The relevant bodies your installer belongs to will be confirmed on your Flexi-Orb Installation Certificate and contact details for each can be found on our Consumer Charter Guide page.
Should you be dissatisfied with the outcome of the formal investigation then you can escalate your complaint to Flexi-Orb by completing our complaint form below and attaching any supporting documentation. We will acknowledge your complaint within 5 working days and inform you of any action that has, or will, take place.
Depending upon the nature, we may need to refer your complaint to the Energy Performance Validation Scheme (EPVS).
What is a Certification Body?
While Flexi-Orb is the Scheme Owner, the Scheme is operated by Certification Bodies. It is these bodies that carry out the office and on-site technical assessments of the Certified Installer to ensure that they work to the requirements of our Installation Scheme.
In addition to the initial rigorous assessments the installer must undergo to achieve their certification, they are also subject to up to 5 additional assessments per year to confirm their continued competence.
If your complaint is with the installer’s workmanship or relates to any safety issue, then it is the certification body who can investigate and assess whether the installation was completed as per the requirements of our Scheme.
What is a Consumer Code?
All certified installers must be members of a Chartered Trading Standards Institute (CTSI) Approved Code, currently HIES or RECC1. Each Code has a stringent set of rules that its members must adhere to at all times in their dealings with consumers and, through this Code, consumers have free access to Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR).
ADR is an unbiased process whereby your complaint is accessed by a neutral person who then communicates with both parties in order to reach a fair conclusion. If required, the ADR provider can instruct an independent inspection of the installation to gain better insight into any issues.
In the event a conclusion cannot be agreed upon, your complaint would then be forwarded to the Ombudsman who will make a final decision on the situation without having to go through the courts. The Ombudsman’s decision is legally binding on the installer.
1 Please be aware that while Flexi-Orb recognises RECC as such a Code, currently RECC’s byelaws dictate that an installer must be MCS certified and we are working with them to revise this.
What is EPVS?
EPVS is a certification standard that validates the processes used by installers, to ensure consumers are provided with accurate performance and savings estimates when purchasing renewable energy products.
If your complaint relates to the performance of your system and/or any savings you feel you are not achieving, then we can pass your contractual paperwork to EPVS to carry out their validation checks.
I have a complaint about Flexi-Orb
We hope that you are never dissatisfied with our service, but we view complaints as an opportunity to learn and improve for the future – as well as a chance to put things right for the person or organisation involved. Should you need to complain, we want you to know that we will take your dissatisfaction seriously, make it easy for you to let us know about it, and keep you updated as it goes through our clear, documented process and procedure.
If you have a complaint about any aspect of our service you can contact us in one of the following ways:
- By telephone: 0330 335 3382
- By form: complaint form
- By email: info@flexi-orb.com
- By letter: The Complaints Manager, Certi-fi Schemes Limited, Strawberry Fields Digital Hub, Euxton Lane, Chorley, PR7 1PS
We find that most issues can be resolved quickly and informally, but if not, or if you are not satisfied with the outcome, your complaint will enter our process to ensure that you are treated fairly and reasonably.
- The complaint should be acknowledged in writing by the person handling the complaint within 5 working days, and will say who is dealing with the complaint and when you can expect a reply.
- We aim to give you a definitive reply within four weeks. If this is not possible because, for example, an investigation has not been fully completed, a progress report will be sent with an indication of when a full reply will be given.
- We will describe the action taken to investigate the complaint, the conclusions from the investigation, and any action taken as a result of the complaint.
- If you feel that the problem has not been satisfactorily resolved, you can appeal the outcome and request that the complaint is reviewed at Board level. As above, you should expect to receive confirmation of the escalation of the complaint, who is dealing with it and when you can expect a reply, within two weeks, and a formal response within a maximum of four weeks.
- You have the right to appeal the decision by referral to an Independent Arbitrator. Flexi-Orb will facilitate this process by ensuring that you are made aware of the process and we will help you make the appeal. Within the Scheme Terms and Conditions, both parties agree that any dispute that cannot be resolved can be settled under the Rules of Arbitration by one or more arbitrators appointed by joint agreement of the parties or, if agreement cannot be gained, the Arbitrator will be appointed by the Centre for Dispute Resolution.
Register a complaint
If you have a complaint about Flexi-Orb or are a consumer unhappy with the outcome of a Certification Body or Consumer Code investigation of your complaint against your installer, please complete the form below and upload any relevant documentation.
We will aim to acknowledge your complaint within 5 working days and inform you of any action that has, or will, take place.
* denotes a mandatory field
