What we do
If you have a problem sorting out a complaint with a Chartered Surveying Firm and that company is one of our members, the Surveyors Ombudsman Service may be able to help.
As a general rule we look at complaints about Chartered Surveying Firms or individual Surveyors which have joined a professional organisation known as the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS). RICS lays out strict standards which its members must follow. An individual Chartered Surveyor will give their qualifications a MRICS or FRICS in any letters or reports the write.
Our job is to investigate complaints fairly. We listen to both sides of the story and look at the facts. The service is free and independent.
The Ombudsman is the person who decides what action should be taken when you and a Chartered Surveying Firm can't agree.
We deal with complaints about the way in which a Chartered Surveying Firm provides a surveying service to a customer. This might be, for example, a breach of the Chartered Surveying Firm's legal obligations, unfair treatment, avoidable delays, a failure to follow proper procedures, rudeness or discourtesy, not explaining matters, poor service or incompetence.
If your complaint is within our terms of reference (our responsibilities), the Ombudsman will consider whether the Chartered Surveying Firm must take any action to put things right for you. If the Ombudsman decides to make an award, and you accept it, then the Chartered Surveying Firm has agreed that it will keep to the decision, and take the action that the Ombudsman has asked for in the final decision.
The Ombudsman may ask your company to provide any, or all of the following:
- a service or some practical action that will benefit you;
- an apology or explanation;
- a financial award.
When deciding upon an award it is not the Ombudsman's role to punish a Chartered Surveying Firm. If a financial award is required, this will be the amount that the Ombudsman considers to be the right amount to settle a particular dispute. The Ombudsman can award as much as £25,000 (including VAT) for loss and expenses and for stress and inconvenience.
So that the same problem is less likely to happen again, the Ombudsman may also recommend the Chartered Surveying Firm to makes changes to its policies or procedures.
There are some issues which the Ombudsman cannot deal with. These are set out in our terms of reference
Our 'Service Standards' document describes what to expect from the Surveyors Ombudsman Service. This also describes what to do if you are unhappy with the service you have reiceved from us. This is available on our corporate site www.tosl.org.uk.
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