If something we have done is wrong, we want to hear it. You do not need to be one of our clients to complain to us, and you do not need our permission.
A complaint is an expression of dissatisfaction with:
An appeal is a request that we reconsider a decision we have taken about certification: a refusal, a suspension, a withdrawal, a reduction of scope, or how we classified a finding.
Send it to complaints@edelcert.com, or by post to EdelCert International (Pty) Ltd, 1805 Cartwrights, cnr Adderley and Darling Street, Cape Town 8000, South Africa. You may use our form, FOR-COMP-01, published on this page, but you do not have to. A letter or an email is enough.
Tell us who you are, what happened, when, who was involved, and what you would like us to do. Attach anything that helps.
Appeals must reach us within 30 calendar days of the date of the decision letter.
| We acknowledge receipt | Within 5 working days |
| We tell you who is handling it and give you a reference | With the acknowledgement |
| We tell you the outcome, with reasons | Within 30 working days of receipt for a straightforward matter, up to 90 calendar days where investigation is complex, with a written status update at least every 20 working days. If it will take longer we tell you why and give you a new date |
The people who investigate and decide your complaint or appeal were not involved in what you are complaining about. Where a complaint concerns our Managing Director, or anyone who would otherwise decide it, an independent person is appointed and the decision is not taken inside the company.
It costs nothing to complain or appeal, and doing so will not count against you. We do not take any discriminatory action against anyone who raises something with us. If you are a client, your certification is not affected by the fact that you complained.
We treat what you tell us as confidential, subject to what we must disclose by law. Where a complaint concerns a certified organisation we will normally need to tell that organisation, and we will discuss that with you first.
We decide together with the affected party whether, and how much of, a complaint and its resolution is made public.
We are an applicant for accreditation and hold no accreditation, so there is no accreditation body to escalate to. Tell us you are not satisfied and we will reconsider, and we will record that we did.
You may print this form and send it to us, or copy its headings into an email. Using it is optional.
Use this form to submit a complaint about EdelCert International (Pty) Ltd, about a certified client, or about any party acting on EdelCert International's behalf, or to submit an appeal against an EdelCert International certification decision. This form implements ISO/IEC 17021-1:2015 §9.7 and §9.8, per PRO-PLA-01.
Anyone may submit a complaint or appeal: a certified client, a former client, a prospective client, a customer or third party affected by a certified client, another certification or accreditation body, a regulator, or a member of the public. You do not need to be a client of EdelCert International to submit a complaint.
Submitting a complaint or appeal is free of charge and results in no discriminatory action against you or against any organisation you represent.
Sections 1 to 5 are completed by the person submitting the complaint or appeal, "the submitter". Section 6 onward is completed by EdelCert International personnel on receipt. The investigator assigned at Section 8 shall not have been involved in the matter complained of or appealed against.
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Name | |
| Organisation, if any | |
| Relationship to the matter | ☐ Certified client ☐ Former client ☐ Prospective client ☐ Customer of a certified client ☐ Third party affected by a certified client ☐ Another certification or accreditation body ☐ Regulator ☐ Member of the public ☐ EdelCert International personnel or contractor ☐ Other: |
| Contact details, email and/or postal address | |
| Preferred language for correspondence |
| Type | Mark |
|---|---|
| Complaint | ☐ |
| Appeal against a certification decision | ☐ |
| Not sure / general feedback | ☐ |
The subject may be any of the following. Mark all that apply.
| Subject | Mark |
|---|---|
| EdelCert International (Pty) Ltd itself, or its procedures | ☐ |
| A member of EdelCert International personnel | ☐ |
| A body performing audits on EdelCert International's behalf, a subcontractor or a contracted auditor | ☐ |
| A certified client of EdelCert International | ☐ |
| The Managing Director of EdelCert International | ☐ |
| A certification decision, for an appeal | ☐ |
Name of the person, body, or client concerned, where known:
[Describe what happened: what you are complaining about or appealing, when it occurred, who was involved, and what outcome you are seeking. Attach supporting documents where available.]
I confirm that the information given above is accurate to the best of my knowledge. I understand that submitting this form is free of charge and will not result in any discriminatory action against me.
Signature, or typed name if submitted electronically: ____________________ Date: __________