Free DIY First
Use a free Complaint Pack directly when a current product fits.
Other Consumer Dispute Support
Not sure where your dispute fits? Start here.
You do not need to know the legal category. Start with what you bought, who was involved, how you paid, what went wrong and what evidence you have. We will help you find the closest current Quaerens route.
✓Free route firstIf a free DIY Complaint Pack fits, use it directly.
✓Facts before labelsDescribe the problem in ordinary language.
✓Assisted fallbackIf no specialist route fits, you can submit the information you have.
Evidence Before Opinion
Start with agreements, payments, messages and complaint replies.
No Value Scoring
A route depends on the dispute, not whether the amount is high or low.
No Outcome Promises
We clarify routes and evidence without predicting success.
Free-first route discovery
Find the route that sounds closest
The governed Consumer Search already knows the current Quaerens routes. Use it for the fullest route match; the categories below are accessible starting points, not a second search database.
Delivery labels: FREE DIY means you can build the pack independently in your browser. INFORMATION & SUPPORT explains a specialist area. ASSISTED SUPPORT is for situations needing human route clarification. FORMAL ESCALATION is for a complaint already at a later stage.
Current public routes
Browse by the type of problem
FREE DIY
Shopping, refunds & services
Faulty goods, missing refunds, marketplaces, subscriptions, repairs and service complaints.
Open Retail Complaint PackFREE DIY
Travel & holidays
Flights, trains, luggage, accommodation, cruises, holiday complaints and travel insurance.
Browse Travel routesFREE DIY
Banking & payments
Bank complaints, frozen accounts, Section 75, chargeback and payment disputes.
Open Bank Complaint PackFREE DIY
Finance & investments
Car finance, loans, mortgages, pensions, advice and investment platforms.
Browse Finance routesFREE DIY
Home & property
Housing disrepair, new builds, surveys, agents, installers, roofing and home improvements.
Browse Property routesFREE DIY
Utilities & communications
Energy billing and switching, broadband and mobile service complaints.
Open Energy Complaint PackINFORMATION & SUPPORT
International & cross-border
Overseas companies, international payments and multi-country disputes.
Open Cross-Border SupportFORMAL ESCALATION
Already received a final response?
Do not automatically restart a first-stage complaint when the matter is already at escalation.
Open Formal EscalationStart with what went wrong
Use ordinary language
Selecting a route is easier when you separate the problem from the legal label.
Not delivered or completed
Goods did not arrive, work was unfinished or the service was not provided.
Faulty or not as promised
The product, service or result differed from what was advertised or agreed.
Refund missing
A refund was refused, delayed, partial or promised but never received.
Unexpected charge
A fee, renewal, payment or deduction is disputed.
Account restricted
Access, funds, withdrawals or services were frozen or blocked.
Poor advice or explanation
Important terms, risks, charges or choices may not have been explained.
Business will not respond
A complaint is unanswered or the reply does not address the evidence.
Several companies involved
The seller, lender, platform, agent or payment recipient may have different roles.
Map the parties
Who is the dispute with — and who did what?
Who made the promise?
Record the seller, supplier, adviser, agent, platform or professional and exactly what was said.
Who received the money?
Check receipts, statements, invoices and finance documents. The brand and legal company may differ.
Was another company involved?
A lender, card issuer, insurer, marketplace or intermediary may have a separate role and complaint route.
More than one company can mean more than one complaint. Keep each party's conduct and evidence separate rather than assuming all entities are responsible for the same thing.
Promise, outcome and payment
Compare what was agreed with what actually happened
What were you told?
Keep the advert, quote, contract, description, sales messages, terms and cancellation or refund promise.
What happened instead?
Record non-delivery, defects, delay, unexpected charges, account restriction, refusal or missing refund.
How did you pay?
Card, bank transfer, finance, direct debit, cash, wallet or platform payment can add different routes.
Credit card and Section 75
A qualifying transaction structure may make Section 75 relevant, but credit-card use does not mean it definitely applies. Use the governed Section 75 builder to examine that route.
Open Section 75Debit card and chargeback
Chargeback may be worth considering for some card disputes, but availability and outcome depend on current scheme rules, evidence and timing.
Open ChargebackEvidence orientation
What evidence do you already have?
You do not need every document to identify a route. Preserve originals and organise what is available.
Agreement
Contract, order, quote, terms, advert, booking or finance agreement.
Payment
Statements, receipts, invoices, merchant names, dates and refund records.
Promises
Sales messages, descriptions, screenshots and representations.
Communications
Emails, chats, calls, complaints, responses and final decisions.
Condition or performance
Photos, video, reports, delivery records, repair evidence or service logs.
Identity
Legal company name, website, address, company number and payment recipient.
Chronology
One dated list linking each important event to supporting evidence.
Financial impact
Record documented payments, refunds and losses as information—not a qualification score.
Complaint stage
What has happened since you complained?
Not complained yet
A specialist free Complaint Pack may help organise the first complaint.
No response
Keep submission proof, dates and chasing messages. The next step depends on the sector and applicable process.
Final response received
Keep the complete response and deadline information. A formal escalation route may now matter.
Already with an ombudsman or court
Do not automatically restart the complaint. Use cautious knowledge or specialist support appropriate to the existing stage.
What if the business has closed?
Keep the legal company identity, payment evidence, insolvency or closure information and correspondence. Closure does not itself prove recovery is available.
Brand name versus legal company
Check the receipt, statement, terms, website footer and official company details. You can still begin with a trading name while clarifying the legal entity.
Overseas or cross-border issue
If companies, payments or performance span countries, the Cross-Border hub may be the better starting point.
Open Cross-Border SupportSuspected crypto or online fraud
Preserve transaction and communication evidence and avoid further recovery promises.
Open Crypto Scam SupportWhy the route matters
You do not need the legal term. Start with the facts.
The most useful description usually identifies the purchase or service, parties, payment method, promise, failure, complaint stage and evidence. A route can then be considered without automatically deciding liability, eligibility or case strength.
Time limits can matter. They vary by subject, payment route, complaint scheme and circumstances. This page does not calculate or guarantee a deadline.
What Quaerens can help with
- Find a current free DIY or specialist route
- Organise parties, payments, evidence and chronology
- Separate issues involving several companies
- Recognise when formal escalation may fit
- Accept an assisted submission where no specific route fits
What Quaerens does not do
- Score case strength or value
- Guarantee refunds, compensation or outcomes
- Automatically decide legal liability or jurisdiction
- Force assisted support before a free route
- Provide a generic assessment report from this page
A clear sequence
How to find the right route
Describe
What did you buy or agree to?
Identify
Who promised, supplied and received payment?
Compare
What was promised and what happened?
Organise
What evidence and complaint responses exist?
Route
Use the free or specialist route that fits best.
Other Consumer Dispute Route & Evidence Guide
Turn an unclear problem into a route-ready summary.
Organise the parties, promises, payments, chronology and complaint stage. If a free specialist tool fits, use it. If none fits, the same information supports a clearer assisted submission.
Find the Right Route
Illustrative situations
Different facts lead to different routes
Refund promised but missing
An online seller confirms a refund that never arrives. A retail/refund route is more specific than generic Other support.
Supplier and lender involved
Home-improvement work is financed and incomplete. Supplier and finance issues may need separate routes.
Overseas payment
A foreign business refuses a card refund. Cross-Border and a card-payment route may both need consideration.
Unusual specialist service
No current product clearly fits. Organise the agreement, payment, failure and complaint response, then use the assisted fallback.
Illustrative only. Routes depend on the facts, evidence, payment structure and complaint stage.
Common questions
Other Consumer Dispute Support FAQ
No. This page helps identify the most appropriate current route. If a free DIY builder fits, use that product directly.
Describe what you bought, who was involved, how you paid, what was promised and what happened.
No. Financial value is useful context, not a suitability or lead score.
Record each company's role, promises, payments and responses separately. More than one route may be relevant.
Keep it and review the Formal Escalation route rather than automatically restarting a first-stage complaint.
You can submit the available facts and evidence through Other Consumer Dispute Support. This is a supportive fallback, not a rejection.
No. This page does not score strength, calculate compensation or guarantee a result.
No. Start with what you have and note what may be missing.
Still not sure?
Submit an unclear consumer dispute
If Consumer Search and the specialist categories do not identify a clear current route, send the parties, payment, problem, complaint stage and evidence you have.
You do not need every document before contacting us.