Every client of GCB Sp. z o.o. shall have the right to lodge a complaint concerning the activities of GCB Sp. z o.o., or to appeal against a decision issued by GCB Sp. z o.o. in connection with a conformity assessment carried out. The lodging of a complaint or an appeal shall not result in any discriminatory action against the party lodging the complaint or appeal.
Appeals
An appeal is a request submitted by a client for the reconsideration of a decision issued by GCB Sp. z o.o. (e.g. a decision to suspend, withdraw, or restrict certification).
An appeal against a decision shall be lodged within 14 business days of the date of receipt of the decision.
An appeal shall be submitted in writing: either by ordinary mail to the address ul. Królewska 18, 00-103 Warsaw, Poland, or by electronic mail to office@gcbcert.com. The date of the postmark or the date of receipt of the e-mail shall be decisive. An appeal should contain at least:
- the particulars of the appellant (company name, or first name and surname, and address);
- an indication of the decision to which the appeal relates;
- the grounds for the appeal;
- a specification of the appellant’s claim.
GCB Sp. z o.o. shall confirm to the appellant the receipt of the appeal and, upon its examination, shall inform the appellant of the decision taken, together with an explanation of the course of the proceedings.
The appeal shall be examined by a team of persons appointed by the Management Board of GCB Sp. z o.o., possessing the appropriate competence and ensuring the independence, impartiality, and objectivity of the appeal review process.
GCB Sp. z o.o. shall be responsible for collecting and verifying all information necessary for the analysis of the appeal.
The appeal shall be examined within 30 days of its submission. Where, due to the nature or complexity of the matter, examination of the appeal within this period is not possible, GCB Sp. z o.o. shall inform the appellant of the reasons for the extension of the period and of the anticipated date of completion of the proceedings.
The decision on the appeal shall be taken by a person who was not involved in the conformity assessment process, nor in the issuance of the decision that is the subject of the appeal.
GCB Sp. z o.o. shall formally notify the appellant of the completion of the appeal review process and of the decision taken.
Complaints
Complaints concerning the activities of GCB Sp. z o.o. or the conduct of its employees may be lodged at any time.
Complaints may be submitted in writing: either by ordinary mail to the address ul. Królewska 18, 00-103 Warsaw, Poland, or by electronic mail to office@gcbcert.com. A complaint should contain information enabling identification of the complainant, in particular the company name, or first name and surname, and address. Complaints that do not contain information enabling identification of the complainant shall be left without consideration. An oral complaint requires written confirmation of its content by the complainant.
GCB Sp. z o.o. shall confirm receipt of the complaint and shall provide the complainant with written information on the course of its examination and the decision regarding the complaint.
Each complaint shall be examined individually. The persons appointed to examine it shall be selected in a manner ensuring the impartiality and objectivity of the process.
GCB Sp. z o.o. shall be responsible for collecting and verifying all information necessary for the analysis of the complaint.
A complaint concerning a client of GCB Sp. z o.o., relating to activities covered by the conformity assessment conducted by GCB Sp. z o.o., shall in the first instance be forwarded to that client. Where the client’s response is not satisfactory to the complainant, or the client fails to respond, GCB Sp. z o.o. shall examine the complaint to the extent that it concerns the activities of GCB Sp. z o.o. falling within the scope of its responsibility.
A response to a complaint shall be provided within 14 days of its receipt. In the case of a particularly complex matter, this period may be extended by a further 14 days, of which GCB Sp. z o.o. shall inform the client, indicating the new deadline for examination of the matter and the reason for the extension.
Any interested client shall have the right to lodge a complaint regarding the activities of GCB Sp. z o.o. with the Polish Centre for Accreditation (Polskie Centrum Akredytacji).
Handling of requests for information
GCB Sp. z o.o. shall, upon request, provide information concerning:
- the geographical areas in which it operates;
- the status of a given certification;
- the name, the relevant normative document, the scope, and the geographical location (city and country) of a specified certified client.