TGO accredited as the official industry Ombudsman
10th April 2012

The Glazing Ombudsman (TGO) is delighted to announce that it has been formally accredited as an Ombudsman member by the British and Irish Ombudsman Association (BIOA) to become the official ombudsman scheme for settling domestic glazing installation complaints within the UK.

Acceptance for BIOA Ombudsman membership is based upon meeting the BIOA rules and five key criteria; the independence of the Ombudsman from those whom the Ombudsman has the power to investigate; his effectiveness; fairness; openness and transparency and public accountability.

For consumers, TGO represents an important milestone for consumer protection as it means that for the first time, customers of domestic glazing installations will have a BIOA accredited Ombudsman to whom they can turn to in the event that a dispute arises without having to go to Court. For glazing companies, registering with TGO demonstrates in a very tangible way to potential customers that they have real confidence in their product and service offering and are prepared to back this up by providing their customers with free access to TGO.

TGO’s Ombudsman, Christopher Hamer commented ‘Accreditation as an Ombudsman member of BIOA
provides credibility for TGO as a voluntary redress scheme within the Ombudsman industry. Membership of
BIOA demonstrates formal recognition of the high standards of excellence to which TGO operates as an
Ombudsman scheme. Installers who join TGO can be assured that I will consider disputes independently and
impartially, from both the installer and consumer’s perspective.’

Adding to this, Graham Hinett, Chairman of TGO said ‘The achievement of Ombudsman Membership with BIOA represents a significant milestone for the industry and TGO in demonstrating that the organisation is governed according to BIOA’s strict rules and criteria. In the event that a dispute arises, TGO will not take sides. If the Ombudsman decides that the service the customer received was unsatisfactory, TGO can ask the company to put
matters right. TGO may also say that it thinks that the company provided a reasonable service. The Ombudsman will always explain why he reached his decision on whether the complaint was upheld or not.

Where a complaint is upheld, TGO can award compensation in various forms. This could be as simple as an
apology, a recommendation to rectify workmanship or a financial award. In practice, it is anticipated that the
average financial award is likely to be similar to amounts awarded by Small Claims Courts, with the maximum
award of £25,000 being awarded only in highly exceptional circumstances, where proven financial loss and/or
extreme levels of avoidable distress, aggravation and inconvenience have occurred. The Ombudsman’s role is
to provide redress which means that his awards are intended to put consumers back into the position they were
before the event leading to the dispute occurred.

As a BIOA Ombudsman member, TGO is a not-for-profit, mutual company that is owned by members, with a
clear focus on providing a fair and unbiased Ombudsman service. TGO does not sell insurance and will not
generate sales leads for installation companies. Consumers are able to locate registered installers on the TGO
website without providing any personal details The Ombudsman is neither a regulator of the industry nor a
consumer champion.

To date, national home improvement companies such as Anglian Home Improvements, Safestyle, Tesco
Windows and Doors, Conservatory Outlet Ltd , Lister Trade Frames and Masterframe Windows have all joined
TGO.

For further information or to join The Glazing Ombudsman, please go to www.glazingombudsman.com or email
membership@glazingombudsman.com or telephone 020 7397 7200. To check whether an Ombudsman is a
member of the BIOA (soon to be rebranded with a new name), visit the BIOA website at: www.bioa.org.uk.