How to choose a consumer ADR scheme
Check the provider’s current accreditation and scope, confirm the UK seller’s participation, then obtain written eligibility, fee and outcome terms. Prepare evidence against the agreed order and check what accepting a decision would settle. Factory records can be requested through Cambridge China Bridge.
Confirm this is a personal purchase
This guide concerns an individual buying wholly or mainly outside their trade, business, craft or profession. Keep personal purchases separate from resale stock and business equipment. Record the intended use, especially where personal and business purposes overlap.
Identify the contracting UK seller from the order, invoice and payment record. Use our seller or agent guide if the roles are unclear. Describe the complaint against that seller and identify the China-made goods involved, rather than submitting a general complaint about the factory.
Check the provider’s current status and scope
Start with the provider list signposted by the UK government on the Chartered Trading Standards Institute website. Match the provider’s legal name and website to the listing. Ask for confirmation of its current accreditation and the activities covered, rather than relying on a logo or an old approval certificate.
Ask whether its scope covers your product, the seller and the type of dispute. If it relies on an exemption or handles cases through another provider, request the basis and the identity of the organisation responsible. Also ask about independence, relevant technical experience and complaints about its own service.
Confirm that the seller will participate
Ask the seller to identify the scheme and explain whether participation follows from legislation, its consumer terms, another contractual commitment or a voluntary agreement. Request written confirmation for your complaint. Separately ask the provider to confirm whether it can handle a case against that exact seller.
A provider’s accreditation is not confirmation of the seller’s participation. Compare the seller’s reply with its supplied terms and any membership information. Our final complaint response guide explains the seller’s communication position. If no usable route is confirmed, review the complaint and court guide.
Get eligibility and fees in writing
Send the provider a short summary before preparing a full submission. Ask about completing the seller’s complaints process, any final response needed, referral deadlines, claim-value limits, excluded disputes, residence requirements and cases already considered elsewhere. Request the applicable rules and written reasons if it declines your case.
Do not assume the process is free. Fees charged by accredited providers must be clearly published. Request the consumer fee schedule, payment trigger, refund conditions and any separate expert, translation or attendance costs. Ask what you could owe if you withdraw or reject the outcome, and obtain written confirmation if there is no consumer charge.
Prepare evidence the scheme can assess
Ask about accepted file formats, document limits, translation arrangements and opportunities to answer the seller’s evidence. Submit a clear chronology, the order specification, payment record, complaint correspondence and requested remedy. Connect each disputed point to the relevant document or photograph, rather than sending an unexplained message archive.
For China-sourced goods, identify the delivered item or batch in inspection photographs, sample approvals and factory reports. Keep original Chinese records alongside translations and distinguish observed defects from technical conclusions. Ask before commissioning an expert report. Request missing factory records through the seller or sourcing contact, including Cambridge China Bridge where involved.
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Check the consequences before accepting
Ask whether the process proposes a settlement or produces a decision, who is bound, and what changes when you accept. Request the acceptance deadline, review arrangements and steps if the seller fails to comply. Do not assume that you can accept an outcome and then pursue the same dispute in court. Get legal advice on any release of claims.
A signed civil mediation settlement serves as a legally binding contract. Review the obligations and release wording using our mediation guide. If arbitration is proposed, use our arbitration and court rights guide before agreeing. Ask your adviser to check court deadlines separately rather than assuming the referral protects them.
Frequently asked questions
Does ADR accreditation mean the seller must take part?
No. Check the seller’s participation obligation or voluntary agreement separately, and ask the provider to confirm that it can handle your complaint against the named seller.
Is consumer ADR always free?
Do not assume so. Obtain the published fee schedule and ask about withdrawal, refunds and separate expert or translation costs before referring the complaint.
What evidence do I need for a China-made product?
Keep the agreed specification, payment record, complaint correspondence and defect evidence. Tie factory reports and inspection photographs to the delivered item or batch, and ask about translation requirements.
Can I accept an ADR decision and still go to court?
Check the scheme’s acceptance terms and any release of claims before accepting. Ask for written clarification and legal advice. A signed civil mediation settlement serves as a legally binding contract.