Withdrawal, Refund, Complaints and Appeals Policy
Introduction
As a business, Kingston Open College follows the best line of practice to ensure that learners are satisfied with the service and products they are purchasing. Kingston Open College follows UK, EU and common international business laws to ensure fairness in trade and commerce.
All policies and procedure files lay out the company’s beliefs and code of conduct so that the company can ensure basic standards and maintain quality service. Being reliable and trustworthy to staff, learners and regulatory authorities while providing the best service goes hand in hand, and Kingston Open College is adamant about following this under any and all circumstances.
Purpose
Withdrawal, refund, complaints & appeals policy provides a base on which disputes can be resolved easily and smoothly. A business has to be vigilant and quick when it comes to compliance and learner satisfaction. Conflict resolution has to take priority, and learner happiness should be given the most importance.
The policy and procedure defined in this document are designed to take minimal effort and time to resolve issues and provide regular and uninterrupted service in all conditions.
Scope
This policy and associated procedures apply to students enrolled in online courses delivered by Kingston Open College.
Kingston Open College provides a plethora of courses in different delivery methods. Courses are available in single, bundle, bulk or subscription purchases. Learner access to courseware and educator support is limited to the validity of a particular course and is based on records keeping policy.
Kingston Open College provides a plethora of courses in different delivery methods. Courses are available in single, bundle, bulk or subscription purchases. Learner access to courseware and educator support is limited to the validity of a particular course and is based on records keeping policy.
The obligations of all enrolled students under 18 years of age reside with the parent/guardian, who will take full responsibility for the learners and for all terms and conditions and associated obligations on behalf of the student.
Definitions
For the purpose of this policy, the following definitions will apply:
| Grievance | A grievance is dissatisfaction and disappointment with products or services provided by Kingston Open College. |
|---|---|
| Withdrawal-Transfer | Withdrawal is when customers want refrainment from receiving a service or product, and transfer is defined as changing to an equal or higher priced course within Kingston Open College’s catalogue. |
| Refund | Refunds are repayments for products or services claimed within a certain period of time. |
| Complaint | A grievance becomes a complaint when a student or client submits a written note via email. |
| Appeals | An appeal is a request to review for any disagreement with any procedure or decision made by Kingston Open College. |
| Claims | When an appeal or request becomes a legal demand by a learner, it is considered a claim. |
Withdrawal-Transfer & Refund
1. All learners and corporate clients have the right to ask for a withdrawal from enrolment.
2. Request for withdrawal should be made within 10 days of enrolment via email with proper reasons. Kingston Open College will process the information and reply accordingly within 2 working days.
3. Learners will be offered to transfer to a different course, or they can ask for the same after a successful withdrawal.
4. Every customer of Kingston Open College, no matter which course he/she has bought, has the right to ask for a refund.
5. Refund claims can only be made by the person who purchased the course. Kingston Open College will only accept persons with proper and matching purchase credentials. Third-party claims will not be acceptable.
6. All refund request has to be made within 14 days of purchase. Kingston Open College will not be held responsible for any request after this time period. However, the company can decide (based upon facts and for humane reasons) to initiate a refund at any time, even after 14 days.
7. All refund requests must be processed within 2 working days from when they were requested.
Complaints & Appeal
All stakeholders are entitled to access an efficient mechanism to raise and settle grievances. Kingston Open College is committed to identifying and responding to any issue considering any aspect of its business operations. Kingston Open College has established a complaint and grievance resolution system to resolve:
A. Academic appeals relating to student progress, assessment, facilitators, plagiarism, course materials, curriculum or awards in a course
B. Non-academic appeals relating to information, administration or compliance issues.
For regular Academic reasons, students can get help from customer service. If it can not be solved over the phone via customer service and the issue is course content specific, then the product manager may take over the communication to resolve it.
If a student has any grievance related to non-academic nature, the higher authority of Kingston Open College will deal with it.
1. Complaints can be lodged in writing via email. Kingston Open College will take action and reach conclustion to a complaint within 28 working days of receiving it.
2. On some occasions, those 28 given days may not be enough time for the investigation to fully complete and analyse its findings. If that is the case, the organisation will still supply a complete update by this time and provide as much information to the complainant as possible.
3. Records of all complaints will be kept until the student’s access period to provide better and faster support.
4. If learners or clients of the business are not satisfied with written or phone communication, formal meetings can be arranged over video call, and complainants are welcome to bring advocates to support them during these sessions.
5. Attendance to a meeting is entirely at the discretion of the complainant, and they are within their rights to simply request formal and regular printed updates or emails.
6. Any appeals made to Kingston Open College will be processed according to UK law.
7. All claims to Kingston Open College will have to ensure details, supporting evidence, and a log of previous communication to be considered valid. Kingston Open College will authenticate all provided proofs and then take action based on the urgency and severity.
Other Forms of Resolution
Where Kingston Open College can not satisfactorily resolve a complaint with an individual, the company is open to third party involvement and negotiation.
Kingston Open College will engage with recognised legal authorities and bodies such as:
- Local Citizens Advice Bureau
- The Equality and Human Rights Commission
- The Disability Law Service
- The Community Legal Service Direct
- Local solicitors
- Office of the Independent Adjudicator for Higher Education (OIA)
- Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC), etc.
