We will refer to this website, www.compasscosts.co.uk as “our website” in this policy.

Compass Costs Solutions is a trading name Slater and Gordon UK Limited an is part of the Slater and Gordon Group which also includes our other entities providing, claims management, health, motor solutions (“Slater and Gordon”, “we”, “us”). We take privacy and confidentiality very seriously. We comply with the Data Protection Act 1998 and related data protection legislation, including the EU General Data Protection Regulation. This policy explains how we use the information and personal data about those who visit our web-site, provide us with information about a potential claim, and about those who subscribe to our email updates.

By visiting our website and submitting information to us, you consent to our using your personal data and/or information in accordance with this policy. If you are a client of the firm, we may use information about you in different ways. Further information about this is available on request.

Some information about our website users is collected automatically and this may be used by us to monitor and analyse how our site is used by visitors. The process does not, however, identify any individual person using the site. We do not collect cookies.

We invite you to provide personal information by filling in our request a call back forms, claim forms, by email or to subscribe to our mailing list(s).

We will use the personal details you provide us in accordance with your request and/or to provide you with information about legal developments, news or events if you have subscribed to these.

We will only disclose your personal information to suppliers who process information on our behalf. We will not disclose information on your claim to anyone without your prior approval, unless we are legally required to do so, or in the event of the sale of the business and/or assets of Slater and Gordon UK Limited.

You have the right to access information we hold about you. Please email our Data Protection Officer at dpo@slatergordon.co.uk if you wish to make an access request, if you would like to update or amend the information we hold about you or if you have any other queries about this policy.

If you change your mind and no longer wish to receive information or email updates, you can click on the ‘unsubscribe’ link on any email received by you from us or notify us of this by contacting our digital team at digital@slatergordon.co.uk.

We will keep the personal information you provide for as long as it is reasonable and necessary for the purpose of the processing. If we open a file and you become our client, the personal information will be kept in our line with the statutory obligations.

Information is transmitted over a secure link, using 128 bit encryption. Our security measures include the use of intrusion detection systems. The internet is not a secure medium. Therefore, although we have endeavoured to protect the security of the information we collect and process, we cannot ensure the security of data transmitted to or from our website via the internet. Any transmission is at your own risk (including the sending or receiving of email messages). Where you are provided with any confidential information (including a user ID or password), you must not disclose such information to any third party.

This website and your use of it is governed by the laws of England and Wales. In accessing this website you agree that any dispute about its use will be determined only by the courts of England and Wales. Please note that this policy does not create any contractual or other legal rights. We may change this policy at any time by updating this page, and therefore recommend you check this page from time to time to ensure you are referring to the current policy. Your continued use of our website, following the posting of any changes, indicates your acceptance of such changes. This policy is effective from 1 May 2018.

For more information about this policy, or if you would like to make a complaint, please contact dpo@slatergordon.co.uk.

We will endeavour to resolve any of your concerns or complaints, however if we are unable to do so to your satisfaction, you can contact the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO), the website is www.ico.org.uk or telephone 0303 123 1113.

In general you may visit our website without providing us with any personal information. However, there are times when we may need information from you, which includes your internet address so that we can track unique visits to our site for analytic purposes.

A new EU law regarding the use of cookies has come into effect which requires websites to ask visitors for their consent to use most cookies.

Cookies are small, often encrypted text files, located in browser directories. They are used by websites to help users navigate around efficiently and perform certain functions. Due to their core role of enhancing/enabling usability or site processes, disabling cookies may prevent features on a website from working.

We use cookies on our website, as well as to personalise email and track whether the email has been opened or read and whether the recipient has used any website links contained in the email communication. This allows us to monitor and improve our email communications and website.

'_utma', '_utmb', '_utmc' and '_utmz'

These are used by Google Analytics to anonymously count visits to the site and tell us patterns in how the user moves around the site, again enabling us to make the site better.

Cookies for certain other services (e.g. Facebook, Twitter, AddThis) are set by the embedded content. We don't control these cookies so for more information we advise you to check those services' cookie policies.

Most browsers will enable the use of cookies by default. Therefore if you wish to opt-out of the use of cookies you will need to change your browser settings. However, switching off cookies may restrict your use of our website and/or delay or affect the way in which our website operates.

The open nature of the internet is such that data may flow over networks without security measures, and may be accessed and used by people other than those for whom the data is intended. While this is out of our control, we aim to apply appropriate levels of security at all times.

Our website uses Secure Socket Layer (SSL) to enhance security when entering sensitive data while requesting an online quote. SSL is the industry standard technology for protecting and maintaining the security of message transmissions over the internet. When you enter sensitive data from secured sites, encryption will scramble your data into an unreadable format to inhibit unauthorised access by others.

Customer service is fundamental to everything we do

We know that using legal services can be daunting, and aim to make the process as straightforward and personable as we can. We aim to deliver a first class service every time and want your experience with Compass Costs Solutions to be a positive one.

Sometimes things don’t go as expected though and we welcome complaints as an opportunity to review and improve our service. If something is wrong, we’re committed to fairly and transparently investigating it in order to resolve matters to your satisfaction. Please raise any customer issues or service complaints, and we’ll endeavour to resolve them for you as swiftly as possible.

At each stage of your case, we’ll provide the name and contact details of the person responsible for it, together with the details of who supervises them. If you have any concerns, or an aspect of our service is less than you’d expect, we’d like to hear from you immediately. In the first instance please contact the named Supervisor by phone, email or in writing. The Supervisor will look to resolve matters informally with you, within two days (excluding weekends) of your contact.

In most cases, an informal chat with the Supervisor will resolve your concerns. If it doesn’t, you can formalise your complaint or speak with someone other than the Supervisor. Our Client Care team can record everything you’re unhappy about and recommend the best solution for you.

You can contact the Client Care team by:

Phone: 0800 1952 489
Email: clientcare@slatergordon.co.uk

Post: Client Care, Compass Costs Solutions, Royalty House, 10 King Street, Watford WD18 0BW

To direct your complaint correctly, it would be helpful when contacting us if you could provide the following:

• Your name and contact details
• Reference number
• Your concerns
• Your preferred contact method
• How you’d like us to put things right

1. If you telephone us, we’ll endeavour to resolve the issue in that call.
2. If you email or write to us, or if your complaint can’t be resolved in a call, we’ll write back within two days (excluding weekends). We’ll acknowledge receipt of your complaint, confirm who’ll be investigating it and when they’ll reply to you.
3. A Supervisor or member of the Client Care team will conduct an investigation and then write to you with their findings and any action plans or proposed resolutions. We may contact you during the investigation to discuss the complaint and/ or to suggest a resolution. Although the Legal Ombudsman Guidelines allow us eight weeks to resolve your complaint, you should hear from our investigator within 19 calendar days.
4. If this initial investigation doesn’t resolve your concerns, you can escalate your complaint. We’ll need a few details from you to highlight the areas that need further review. A Senior Manager or Senior Client Care member will carry out a further investigation to provide you with our final response. It’s important we address all your remaining issues and this can take time, but our aim is to respond within a further 21 calendar days. We’ll always keep you updated about when you’ll receive a reply.

If, after exhausting our escalation process, your complaint is not resolved to your satisfaction, or the eight week period has expired without our final response, you’re entitled to refer your complaint to an Ombudsman Scheme or for Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR). However, we’ll always be happy to discuss your issues further if you wish to do so, prior to taking this step.

For complaints about our service, including billing issues, you may contact the Legal Ombudsman:

Phone: 0300 555 0333
Email: enquiries@legalombudsman.org.uk

Post: Legal Ombudsman, PO Box 6806, Wolverhampton WV1 9W

If your unresolved complaint relates to an insurance policy covering your case, you may contact the Financial Ombudsman Service:

Phone: 0800 023 4567
Email: complaint.info@financial-ombudsman.org.uk

Post: Financial Ombudsman Service, Exchange Tower, London E14 9SR

This is a form of mediation similar, but separate to, the Legal Ombudsman. Companies exist who may be competent to mediate in some disputes but you’d need to obtain our express prior permission to use such a company. This doesn’t apply to contacting the Legal Ombudsman, which you can do at any time. You can find out more about ADR online.

The Legal Ombudsman aims to resolve complaints and assist clients and their solicitors to reach a mutual agreement. There are, however, time limits for submitting complaints to them. These time limits also apply for referrals to the Financial Ombudsman Service:

• Within six months of receiving our final response
• Eight weeks after lodging your complaint with us, if you haven’t received our final response
• Within six years of the date of the act/ omission if you haven’t previously complained, or
• Three years from the date that you should’ve known you had a complaint to pursue and hadn’t complained previously (if the act/ omission occurred more than six years ago).

The Legal Ombudsman won’t accept complaints where the act/ omission or date of awareness was before 6 October 2010 though.

If your complaint is about your bill, you may have a right to apply to the court for an assessment under Part III of the Solicitors Act 1974. There are strict time limits applicable and you may wish to seek independent legal advice:

• Within one month from the date of invoice you have an unconditional right to a detailed assessment
• After one month the Court may impose restrictions
• After one year from the invoice date, you will lose the right to a detailed assessment, except in special circumstances.

The Legal Ombudsman may not consider a complaint about a bill if you have applied to the court for such an assessment.