Complaints Policy

1. Our commitment

Distribution Management Solutions Limited aims to provide a professional and clear service for courier, parcel delivery and business distribution arrangements.

We recognise that a service may not always meet expectations. This policy explains how customers can raise concerns and how we aim to review, respond to and resolve complaints.

We will seek to handle complaints objectively, consider the available evidence, communicate relevant findings and identify reasonable next steps. We will not disadvantage a customer merely because they have raised a genuine concern.

2. What you can complain about

You may submit a complaint about any aspect of our service or dealings with you, including:

• the clarity or accuracy of a quotation;
• booking confirmation or shipment arrangements;
• collection or delivery coordination;
• delays, missed collection attempts or delivery difficulties;
• communication or customer service;
• a charge, invoice, cancellation or refund decision;
• concerns about lost, damaged or incomplete goods; or
• how a previous complaint was handled.

If a third-party carrier is involved in the shipment, we may need to obtain information from that carrier to investigate the issue. We will explain the relevant process where appropriate. Our involvement does not remove any responsibility or rights that apply under the contract or applicable law.

3. How to submit a complaint

You can raise a complaint by email or telephone using the contact details at the end of this policy. Written complaints are helpful because they provide a clear record of the issue, but we will consider complaints raised by telephone as well.

If you raise a complaint by telephone, we may ask you to provide relevant details in writing, particularly where the issue concerns a shipment, a payment or a claim for loss or damage.

Please use the subject line “Complaint” when emailing us, and include your booking or quotation reference if one is available. You do not need to use legal terminology to make a complaint.

If you need assistance communicating your concern or require a reasonable adjustment, please tell us so that we can consider an appropriate way to communicate with you.

4. Information to include

To help us investigate efficiently, please provide as much of the following information as is reasonably available:

• your name and preferred contact details;
• your company name, if the complaint relates to a business booking;
• the quotation, booking, invoice or shipment reference;
• the date of the relevant enquiry, booking or event;
• a clear description of what happened and when;
• the steps already taken to resolve the matter;
• supporting correspondence, photographs or documents, where relevant; and
• the outcome you would like us to consider.

Please do not send unnecessary sensitive personal information. If we need further information, we will explain what is required and why, where practicable.

If you do not have every detail available, submit the information you have. We will assess whether we can begin reviewing the complaint and let you know if important information is missing.

5. Acknowledgement and response times

We aim to follow the response framework below. These are service targets rather than a guarantee that every complaint can be fully resolved within a fixed period.

For this policy, a working day means Monday to Friday, excluding public holidays in England. A response target does not override any shorter deadline or mandatory time limit imposed by law or the terms applicable to a particular claim.

6. How we investigate

The steps taken will depend on the nature of the complaint. We may:

• review the original enquiry, quotation and booking confirmation;
• check relevant invoices, payment records and communications;
• review collection or delivery information available to us;
• ask you for clarification or supporting evidence;
• contact a relevant carrier or service provider where necessary; and
• consider the agreed service, applicable terms and relevant law.

We will seek to assess the available evidence fairly. Where information is incomplete or disputed, we will take that into account when reaching an outcome.

We may be unable to disclose confidential information relating to another customer, employee or service provider. However, we will aim to explain the findings relevant to your complaint without disclosing information we are not entitled to share.

7. Outcomes and remedies

After reviewing a complaint, we will explain our decision and the reasons for it, to the extent appropriate. Depending on the circumstances, possible outcomes may include:

• an explanation or clarification of the service or charge;
• an apology where we identify that one is appropriate;
• corrective action to address an identified service issue;
• a review of a quotation, invoice or booking record;
• a refund or other remedy where contractually or legally due; or
• an explanation of why the complaint is not upheld.

Any refund, compensation or other financial remedy will depend on the facts, the agreed service terms and applicable law. This policy does not promise automatic compensation for every delay, service failure or complaint.

If we need more information before deciding whether a remedy is due, we will explain the outstanding questions and the proposed next steps.

8. Lost, damaged or incomplete goods

If your complaint concerns missing, damaged or incomplete goods, please contact us as soon as reasonably practicable after discovering the issue.

Please provide the shipment reference, a description of the issue and any available supporting information. Photographs of the parcel, external packaging and damaged contents may help us understand what happened.

Where reasonably possible, retain the affected goods and packaging until we advise whether further inspection or evidence is required. Do not dispose of material evidence if doing so can reasonably be avoided.

We may need to request information from the carrier or another party involved in the transport arrangement. The applicable claim requirements and any notification periods depend on the particular shipment terms and relevant law.

Please do not assume that raising a complaint automatically satisfies every separate claim notification requirement. If a booking confirmation or applicable carrier terms specify a claim procedure, please follow it as well. Nothing in this section removes a right that cannot lawfully be excluded.

9. If you remain dissatisfied

If you disagree with the outcome, you may reply to our response explaining which part you believe has not been addressed and provide any additional information you would like us to consider.

Where practicable, a further review will be undertaken by a person who was not solely responsible for the original decision. We will explain whether the original outcome is upheld or changed, together with the reasons for that conclusion.

If the matter remains unresolved, you may wish to seek independent legal advice or contact an appropriate consumer advice organisation or regulator, depending on the nature of the complaint and your circumstances.

We will identify any applicable independent dispute-resolution route where one is available and relevant to the particular service. We do not represent that a specific ombudsman, ADR scheme or industry dispute process applies to every shipment.

Nothing in our internal complaints procedure prevents you from pursuing a legal remedy or exercising any applicable statutory right.

10. Fair treatment and accessibility

We aim to treat complaints respectfully and consistently, regardless of the customer’s background or circumstances. A complaint will be considered on its relevant facts and supporting information.

We understand that some customers may need additional time or a different communication method. Please tell us about any reasonable adjustment that would help you explain your concern or understand our response.

We may set reasonable communication arrangements where contact becomes repetitive or abusive, but we will not use such arrangements to prevent a customer from raising a legitimate concern or exercising a legal right.

11. Complaint records and privacy

We may keep records of complaints, relevant communications, investigation steps and outcomes for purposes such as resolving disputes, reviewing service quality, maintaining appropriate business records and meeting legal obligations.

Records will be handled in accordance with applicable data protection requirements and retained only for as long as reasonably necessary for the relevant purposes, subject to any applicable legal retention obligations.

We will limit access to complaint information to those who reasonably need it to review or resolve the matter, subject to lawful disclosures and legitimate business requirements.

Further information about how personal information is handled is available in our Privacy Policy.

12. Contact details

Please use the contact details below to raise a complaint, ask about an existing complaint or provide additional information relevant to an ongoing review.

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