Complaints and appeals

Information for interested parties regarding complaints and appeals related to the certification services of GUARD IS CERTIFICATION Sp. z o.o.

Complaint handling process

Complaint:
A statement by a client or other stakeholders to GIC that something is wrong or not good enough. The certification body receives a complaint, any interested party can file a complaint.

Receiving and registering a complaint:
Complaints shall be submitted in writing to the certification body with reasons and evidence. The certification body guarantees an impartial review of complaints within the established timeframe, and the complainants will be informed of the measures taken. Complaints can be submitted in the following ways:

It is possible to send a letter by post or in person to the office in Poland and in Germany

You can use the online form option on the certification body's website.
https://certgic.pl/

Complaints can be sent to the official email address of the authority. info@certgic.com

In case the certification body receives a call, the employee shall record and agree the text with the interested party, then send a confirmation

After receiving a complaint:

Inform the complainant that the complaint has been received

Request the missing data from the complainant and clarify the information received

Record the complaint in the Complaints log

Assess whether the complaint is related to the certification activity for which the Body is responsible and, if so, whether it is being addressed in accordance with the established procedures

Consideration of the complaint

The necessary information is assessed, taking into account confidentiality issues. The response work shall not exceed 20 working days, but no more than one calendar month from the date of receipt shall be devoted to this stage. (This period is defined as time spent internally. If additional information is required to complete this procedure, and this requires additional communications and written requests, the time spent by employees outside the company will increase the time period)

Informing the complainant and the impartiality committee of the decision

The complainant may submit a second complaint, which should be considered in accordance with internal procedures. By new, independent persons. A complaint against the same decision can be filed only once.

The response must be provided within 3 months of receiving the complaint. The impartiality committee must also be informed at a scheduled meeting about the complaints received and the decisions taken.

Receipt of appeals

The certification body receives the information about the appeal along with the completed form and begins to review it. The responsible persons analyse the appeal and, if necessary, contact the applicant for clarification. The review process, which may include a re-analysis of the audit, should not take more than 30 working days from the date of the appeal submission. If additional information is required, this may extend the timeframe.

The total period for reviewing an appeal cannot exceed 3 calendar months from the date of submission. If the deadline has passed and no response has been received for reasons beyond the control of the Certification Body, a decision shall be made on the basis of the available information. If new information becomes available, the Appeal Panel may reconsider the case. The appellant must be informed.

Appeals process

Appeal: A client's request to GIC to change a decision regarding the certification process.

Making a decision on the applicant and the appeal panel

If the appeal is from a person with a contractual relationship with the GIC, an appeal panel is formed to review the case
If the appeal is received from persons who are not related to the GIC by a contractual relationship within the framework of which the certification decision was made and is being appealed, the appellant is sent a letter informing him/her that the information cannot be provided for confidentiality reasons.


The GIC Appeals Panel consists of at least 3 persons who are not involved in the certification process whose results are being appealed. The Appeal Panel examines the information collected. And makes a decision. Each member of the appeal team reviews the information and makes their own decision: Is the appellant right, should the appeal be granted? Yes or No.

The decision on the appeal is made on the basis of a majority vote and is recorded on the forms of the Certification Body. If the majority of votes is NO, the appeal is rejected, if the majority of votes is YES, the appellant is right.

Making a decision on the applicant and the appeal panel

Inform the client in writing (by email or letter) of the decision and the end of the appeal process. The response should not exceed 3 months from the date of receipt of the appeal.

If the client does not agree with the GIC's decision, the client may submit a second appeal

After completion of the appeal procedure, the GIC analyses all procedural documents to identify opportunities for improvement and the need for corrective actions in the certification process.

Both parties can always go to court if they cannot agree on a solution