A useful standard needs a label, a scope and a date
A code can strengthen a complaint when it genuinely applies. It can weaken one when its status is overstated or the wrong edition is used. This directory makes the source type visible.
Source status
Not every rule has the same legal weight
A code may be binding on members, incorporated into a licence or contract, recognised by a statutory scheme, or purely advisory. Identify which before relying on it.
| Source type | Typical effect | Complaint use |
|---|---|---|
| Regulator rule | Can bind authorised or licensed firms within scope. | Cite the rule, status, firm and relevant date. |
| Statutory code | Has a basis or status given by legislation. | Explain how the code applies and what follows from non-compliance. |
| Industry code | May bind members by membership, contract or scheme commitment. | Prove membership and the version in force. |
| Guidance | Explains an authority’s approach but may not itself create a right. | Use as interpretive or standards evidence without calling it legislation. |
| Scheme rules | Govern eligibility, procedure, evidence and remedies for ADR. | Use the current rules and preserve the referral deadline. |
Searchable directory
Codes, rulebooks and standards
The internal guide explains the practical context. The official link provides the current source and version information.
CAP Code
The UK Code of Non-broadcast Advertising and Direct & Promotional Marketing, written by CAP and administered by the ASA. It covers many online, print, outdoor, direct marketing and promotion issues.
BCAP Code
The UK Code of Broadcast Advertising, written by BCAP and administered by the ASA through the broadcast co-regulatory system with Ofcom.
FCA Handbook
Binding rules, guidance and sourcebooks for authorised financial firms. Identify the relevant sourcebook, rule status and version that applied at the time.
FCA Consumer Duty
A regulatory framework centred on firms delivering good outcomes for retail customers. It does not replace the need to identify the specific conduct, loss and remedy.
Ofcom General Conditions
General regulatory conditions for communications providers, including rules relevant to contracts, information, complaints and vulnerable customers.
Ofcom approved ADR framework
Rules and approvals governing the communications ADR schemes. Provider membership and the current referral waiting period determine the practical route.
UK Finance Standards of Lending Practice
Voluntary standards for participating registered firms covering aspects of lending to personal and business customers. Check registration and the edition in force.
Principles of Reciprocity and Data Sharing
Industry data-sharing principles used in credit reporting. They can be important evidence about accuracy, reporting and account data, but do not displace statutory data rights.
Housing Ombudsman Complaint Handling Code
A statutory code setting complaint-handling requirements for member landlords, including accessibility, stages, timescales and learning.
SRA Standards and Regulations
Professional standards for solicitors and authorised firms in England and Wales. Conduct rules and Legal Ombudsman service standards address different questions.
Civil Procedure Rules and pre-action conduct
Rules and practice directions governing civil litigation in England and Wales. Pre-action requirements shape letters, disclosure, proportionality and costs.
National Rail Conditions of Travel
Contractual conditions applying to many rail journeys, alongside passenger-rights legislation, operator schemes and retailer terms.
No matching code was found. Try the sector, regulator or issue.
Use in a complaint
Turn a standard into a precise comparison
Quoting a broad principle is weaker than showing the applicable requirement, the evidence of departure and the practical consequence.
- Prove coverage. Show that the firm, product, service or complaint is within the code or rulebook.
- Fix the date. Save the edition, rule version or archived source that applied.
- Quote sparingly. Identify the exact rule or paragraph and link to the complete source.
- Compare conduct. Put the requirement beside what the organisation actually did.
- Connect the outcome. Explain why the departure matters to fairness, loss, procedure or remedy.
Version control
Save enough to prove what you relied on
Online rulebooks and codes change. A link alone may not preserve the wording that applied to an older event.
Keep a source record
Save the source title, issuing body, rule or paragraph number, effective date, access date and stable URL. For a significant dispute, keep a PDF or screenshot showing the wording and version information.
Legal weight
Work out what kind of standard you are relying on
Acts, licence conditions, statutory codes, ombudsman schemes, contractual codes and voluntary promises can all influence a dispute, but they do not have identical legal effect.
| Source | Possible effect | Safe way to describe it |
|---|---|---|
| Regulator rule or licence condition | May bind authorised or licensed firms and support regulatory or ombudsman findings. | Name the rulebook, provision, firm status and version date. |
| Statutory code or guidance | Its effect depends on the enabling legislation and context. | Explain the statutory status and avoid saying every departure is automatically unlawful. |
| Ombudsman scheme or complaint code | Can set membership, procedure, service expectations and remedies. | Use it within the scheme and distinguish jurisdiction from the merits. |
| Industry code | May be contractual, membership-based, evidence of practice or purely voluntary. | Identify the business commitment and the code's enforcement mechanism. |
| Business policy or public promise | May be relevant to contract, representation, fairness or reasonable expectation. | Keep the exact version and show that it applied to the transaction. |
Use in a complaint
Turn a code provision into a fair, testable point
A code argument should be more than a pasted quotation. It should show why the standard governed the respondent and how the evidence demonstrates the alleged departure.
- Prove application. Identify the firm's authorisation, licence, membership, contract or public commitment that makes the standard relevant.
- Fix the version. Save the code or rulebook in force when the disputed event occurred. Later improvements do not automatically govern earlier conduct.
- Quote sparingly. Give the rule number and a short accurate proposition, then link to the official document.
- Match the facts. Point to the call, letter, design, delay or decision that is said to fall short. Explain any dispute about context.
- Ask for a relevant response. Request the provider's interpretation, evidence of compliance and the remedy available under the complaint or redress process.
If the standard is voluntary, say so. It can still be persuasive, especially where the business advertises membership, but overstating its status makes the rest of the complaint easier to dismiss.
Use the reference
Turn research into an effective consumer case
Reference material earns its place only when it helps the reader decide, explain or prove something. Keep the working file short enough to use and complete enough to be checked.
Write the factual or procedural question before opening sources.
Use the most authoritative current source that actually answers it.
Connect the source to dated evidence and the remedy or next step.
Keep a research log
For each important point, record the source title, publisher, URL, relevant provision or heading, effective date where known, access date and a short note explaining relevance. If the page can change, retain a PDF or screenshot. A search result or generated summary is not the source.
Use a proportionate evidence pack
Start with a case summary, issue list and chronology. Attach the contract, key communications, payment or account record, disputed decision and loss calculation. Add sources only where they clarify the standard or procedure. Do not send an entire Act, rulebook or website capture when a pinpoint link and saved extract will do.
Ask the recipient to answer something specific
A trader can be asked to provide the contractual remedy; an ombudsman to determine stated issues; a regulator to consider supported compliance information; and a court to grant a pleaded remedy. Match the wording to the recipient's powers. If you are unsure about jurisdiction, ask for confirmation without allowing another deadline to expire.
Review before sending
- Names and dates are consistent across the summary and evidence.
- Each allegation is expressed as a fact or supported inference, not an unsupported conclusion.
- Every amount is calculated and avoids double recovery.
- Personal data is necessary, relevant and sent securely.
- The requested outcome is possible on this route.
- Other complaint, appeal and court deadlines are recorded separately.
Practical workflow
A repeatable research and complaint process
Use the page as one stage in a controlled workflow. This prevents a useful source, definition or organisation name from becoming a substitute for the factual case.
- Write the outcome. State what should change, who can change it and whether the request is advice, enforcement, redress or a legal order.
- Identify the parties. Record the legal trader, contracting party, agent, platform, payment provider, regulated firm and decision-maker where they differ.
- Freeze the evidence. Save the contract, terms, advert, account, decision, correspondence and website material before it changes. Keep originals and record capture dates.
- Build the chronology. Use a table with date, event, actor, document and significance. Highlight trigger dates for cancellation, complaint escalation, appeal or limitation.
- Research one issue at a time. For each issue, find the source that defines the duty, jurisdiction or procedure. Record uncertainty and conflicting material.
- Choose parallel routes deliberately. A provider complaint, card claim, regulator report and ombudsman referral may coexist. Give each body only the issue and outcome within its role.
- Send a bounded case. Number the issues, provide a compact indexed bundle and ask for a response to each material point within a reasonable or prescribed period.
- Audit the response. Mark each issue answered, partly answered or unanswered. Record new evidence, concessions, reasons and the next eligible escalation date.
Keep an issue schedule
Use columns for issue, disputed fact, evidence, rule or standard, respondent position, requested outcome and current status. This exposes gaps before submission and makes a later ombudsman or court file much easier to prepare.
Quality control
Mistakes that make a well-researched case weaker
Most problems arise from scope, status or application rather than from failing to find another source. Review these points before adding more material.
Citing a title instead of a rule
Naming an Act, regulator or code does not show what duty applied. Identify the provision, rule, scheme term or published remit and explain its connection to the event.
Using today's wording for an older event
Web pages, legislation, rulebooks and scheme terms change. Record the event date and source version. If the historical position cannot be verified, say so instead of silently applying the current page.
Treating guidance as a guarantee
Official guidance can be authoritative and useful without resolving every exception or disputed fact. Describe its status accurately and check the underlying source when the point affects eligibility, liability or a deadline.
Confusing public enforcement with private redress
A finding that conduct may affect a market does not automatically calculate an individual's loss. Equally, an ombudsman award does not necessarily prove a market-wide breach. Explain which decision you are asking each body to make.
Sending personal data without a purpose
Remove irrelevant account numbers, identity documents and third-party information. Keep an unredacted original, use secure channels and tell the recipient if sensitive material is essential to understanding the case.
Overstating certainty
Use language such as appears, may, or I understand where a point is an inference or legal position open to dispute. Reserve direct statements for facts and sources that the evidence establishes.
When to get help
Recognise when self-help is no longer proportionate
ConsumerWise can help organise the issue and identify routes, but some cases need urgent, technical or legally privileged advice. Early help can protect a position that cannot easily be restored later.
| Situation | Why help may be needed | Possible source |
|---|---|---|
| Immediate danger, fraud or loss of an essential service | Protective action is more urgent than completing the ordinary complaint process. | Emergency service, bank, supplier emergency team, council or specialist safety body. |
| Eviction, homelessness, employment dismissal or statutory appeal | Short deadlines and specialist procedure can determine whether the case can be heard. | Relevant advice charity, union, law centre, solicitor or authorised representative. |
| High-value or technically complex loss | Expert evidence, pleading, causation, costs and enforcement risk may exceed the value of informal self-help. | Qualified legal adviser and an appropriately instructed independent expert. |
| Vulnerability or difficulty managing the process | Adjustments, representation or advocacy may be needed for effective participation. | Provider accessibility team, local advice service, advocate or trusted representative. |
| Threats, defamation concerns or allegations of dishonesty | Public accusations or poorly framed allegations can create additional risk. | Legal advice before publication or formal escalation. |
When seeking help, provide the one-page summary, chronology, issue schedule, key decision and deadline list first. This lets an adviser assess urgency and scope before reading the full file.
Questions
Detailed questions about using this resource
These answers explain the usual approach. Check the linked official source where the result depends on current law, scheme rules, jurisdiction or a deadline.
Is a voluntary code legally useless?
No. It may evidence a public promise, membership commitment, contractual term or accepted practice. State that status accurately and identify the enforcement route.
Does breaking a code automatically create compensation?
Usually not. The remedy depends on the legal, contractual, regulatory or scheme framework. Explain the practical consequence instead of assuming one.
How do I prove a business was a member?
Use the official member register, archived membership record, contract or business representation from the relevant date. Current membership alone may not prove historical coverage.
Can a later code help an older complaint?
It may provide context but should not be presented as the standard in force. Find the historical edition and record effective dates wherever possible.
What is the difference between a rule and guidance?
Rulebooks often label provisions by status. A binding rule and explanatory guidance can sit together. Preserve the label and do not quote one as the other.
Should I attach the complete code?
Usually no. Give a pinpoint reference and official link, with a saved extract and version information where the wording may change or access is difficult.
Maintain the file
Review the case as facts and sources change
A consumer case is a controlled record, not a single letter. Update it when the respondent gives reasons, a source changes or a route reaches a decision point.
After each response
Save the original file or message, record its date and mark each issue answered, partly answered or unanswered. Add any admission, factual correction, new reason or request for evidence to the issue schedule. Do not rewrite the earlier chronology to hide a misunderstanding; correct it transparently.
Before escalation
Check that the respondent has had the opportunity required by the next scheme, the complaint is framed consistently, and every new issue has first been raised where necessary. Update the remedy and deduct any payment already received. Recheck jurisdiction and time limits on the official route.
When a source changes
Keep the version originally relied on and record the new one separately. Decide whether the change applies to the event, affects only future conduct or clarifies an existing rule. If the point is important and uncertain, obtain legal advice rather than presenting an assumption as settled.
At closure
Record the outcome, acceptance terms, payment or action due, compliance date and any continuing rights. Keep the file for a proportionate period, securely delete unnecessary copies and avoid publishing personal or confidential material merely because the dispute has ended.