Complaint procedures against the OFT

Back to top

General complaints

For general enquiries, guidance on the work of OFT and to report anti-competitive or other behaviour by a trader or traders, please email enquiries@oft.gsi.gov.uk.

Back to top

Complaints about our processes

We are always interested in the views of businesses and consumers about our procedures and how we operate them.

We shall listen carefully to any views that are put forward and if problems are identified we shall take remedial action.

Anyone with a concern or complaint about our procedures or the handling of a case may wish to try to resolve the matter by writing to or emailing the Head of Enquiries and Reporting Centre at the following address:

Head of Enquiries and Reporting Centre
Office of Fair Trading
Enquiries and Reporting Centre
Fleetbank House
2-6 Salisbury Square
London
EC4Y 8JX

We shall aim to give a response to any such complaint as soon as possible and in any event within 30 working days. It may take us longer if the complaint is addressed incorrectly. 

We hope that our response will satisfy complaints. However, if anybody is dissatisfied with the response, they may write to or email the General Counsel of the OFT at the above address. If upon receipt of a letter from the General Counsel's office the complainant is still dissatisfied, their complaint can be referred through a Member of Parliament to the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsmen who has the power to investigate further.

The Ombudsman also has a general responsibility for investigating complaints referred to him through a Member of Parliament on any issue where a member of the public believes he or she has suffered injustice as a result of maladministration in connection with administrative action taken by or on behalf of Government departments.

Back to top

Freedom of information

If you are dissatisfied with the OFT's response to your request under the Freedom of Information Act, you may seek a review of our decision by writing to:

The Internal Review Co-ordinator
GS/3
Office of Fair Trading
Fleetbank House
2-6 Salisbury Square
London
EC4Y 8JX

You may alternatively send an email to internalreview@oft.gsi.gov.uk .

We will deal with your complaint within 20 working days of receipt or, if this is not possible, advise you of a date by which we expect to have completed a review of your complaint.

If you remain dissatisfied with the OFT’s response you have the right to complain to:

The Information Commissioner
FOI/EIR Complaints Resolution
Information Commissioner’s Office
Wycliffe House
Water Lane
Wilmslow
Cheshire
SX9 5AF

For further information about forwarding a complaint to the Information Commissioner see the ICO website.  

Back to top

Complaints relating to our transparency

In May 2010 we published a Transparency statement (pdf 267 kb) outlining how we will improve our transparency. It sets out the OFT's commitments to those involved and interested in our work focussing on how we will engage and what information will be provide throughout the life of a case or project.

We ask that those involved in our work hold us to account where we do not meet our promises.

Should anyone be dissatisfied with our transparency in relation to a particular project or case or indeed have any complaint relating to a specific piece of work, they may complain directly to the relevant Senior Responsible Owner who will aim to either:

• put things right; or
• give an explanation, as far as possible, why greater transparency was not possible.

Contact details for the Senior Responsible Owner can be found at the bottom of those web pages describing individual projects. Please see the OFT's Work section of the website.

Unless you are directly involved in our work, for example you are a party in an enforcement case, it is unlikely that we can provide more information than what is already on our website.

This process will not alter those already in place for submitting general complaints about the OFT or requests/applications for internal reviews made under the Freedom of Information Act. Complaints relating to such matters should continue to be made via these existing routes described above. Similarly, the process for submitting complaints about the conduct of companies or traders remains unaffected.

Back to: Accountability