Responding to a Complaint

The PMCPA makes every effort to ensure that complaints are dealt with as quickly and efficiently as possible.

​​Respondent companies must ensure that all the necessary and relevant information is included in their response. When submitting a response, you should ensure that all the documents requested by the case preparation manager have been provided. This is almost certain to include copies of all references cited in support of any claims in the materials at issue together with any other references cited in your response.

Consider asking someone who is not familiar with the matters at issue to read your submission to ensure that it sets out a comprehensive and well reasoned argument in response to the complaint and provides all of the necessary supporting documentation. As a respondent, you should try to put yourself in the Code of Practice Panel’s position and consider what questions it would want answered and what documents it would want to see with regard to resolving the complaint at issue. Please ensure that you address each clause raised by the complainant or case preparation manager.

Requests for further information generally have to be met within five working days but wherever possible the information should be faxed or emailed to the Authority as soon as possible. If it is not clear to a company what information is required, they should make every effort to contact the member of the Authority who made the request.

Following discussion with the Code of Practice Appeal Board, it has been agreed that the PMCPA will ask respondent companies to include in their responses copies of the certificates approving the materials/activities relevant to the complaint. Clauses 8.1, 8.2 and 8.3 of the Code, and their supplementary information set out which materials/activities need to be certified.