Complaints Policy

1. Who We Are

Retreat Into Wellness is a business partnership operated by [INSERT THE FULL LEGAL NAMES OF BOTH PARTNERS], trading as Retreat Into Wellness.

Our principal business address is:

In this policy, “Retreat Into Wellness”, “we”, “us” and “our” mean the partners operating the Retreat Into Wellness partnership.

2. Our Approach to Complaints

We aim to:

• make it straightforward to raise a concern;
• listen carefully and treat people respectfully;
• consider complaints objectively and without retaliation;
• identify the relevant facts and evidence;
• respond in clear and understandable language;
• provide reasons for our decision;
• offer an appropriate remedy where something has gone wrong;
• protect personal and confidential information;
• make reasonable adjustments to the complaints process; and
• use complaints to improve our services and procedures.

Making a genuine complaint will not result in a guest being treated unfairly or prevented from raising a legitimate consumer, safety, equality or data-protection concern.

3. What Counts as a Complaint?

A complaint is an expression of dissatisfaction requiring a response, whether or not the word “complaint” is used.

Complaints may concern:

• a retreat, course, treatment or wellness experience;
• the quality or description of a service;
• a booking, cancellation, payment or refund;
• communication before, during or after a booking;
• the conduct of a host, practitioner, instructor or supplier;
• food, accommodation or venue arrangements;
• health, safety or safeguarding concerns;
• accessibility or reasonable adjustments;
• discrimination, harassment or inappropriate conduct;
• the handling of personal information;
• website information or accessibility; or
• another aspect of the service supplied by Retreat Into Wellness.

4. Matters That May Follow Another Procedure

Some concerns may need to be handled under a more specific process.

This may include:

• a booking cancellation governed by our Booking Terms;
• a request to exercise a data-protection right;
• a data-protection complaint;
• a safeguarding concern;
• a serious health or safety incident;
• an insurance claim;
• an allegation of criminal conduct;
• a regulated travel or package-holiday complaint; or
• a complaint about an independent service not contracted through Retreat Into Wellness.

We will explain where another procedure applies and, where appropriate, pass the matter to the person or organisation responsible.

5. Raising a Concern During an Experience

Where possible, raise the concern promptly with Michael, Stephanie or the relevant host.

This may allow us to:

• correct inaccurate information;
• resolve a room, meal or timetable issue;
• adapt an activity or treatment;
• address inappropriate behaviour;
• contact the venue or supplier;
• provide an alternative arrangement; or
• prevent the problem from becoming more serious.

Raising a concern informally does not prevent you from making a formal written complaint later.

6. How to Make a Formal Complaint

A formal complaint may be made by:

• email;
• WhatsApp;
• telephone, followed where possible by written confirmation; or
• letter to our business address.

There is no website complaints form.

Written complaints may be sent to:

This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

or:

This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

7. Information to Include

Please provide as much of the following information as reasonably possible:

• your full name and preferred contact details;
• the name of the retreat, course, treatment or experience;
• the date and venue concerned;
• your booking reference, where available;
• a clear description of what happened;
• the date the problem occurred;
• the people you have already spoken to;
• any relevant emails, messages, photographs or receipts;
• how the matter affected you; and
• the outcome or remedy you are seeking.

Please provide copies rather than original documents unless we specifically request otherwise.

8. Our Complaints Process

9. Response Times

These are service targets rather than a restriction on any statutory right or legal time limit.

Response times may be affected where we reasonably need information from:

• the complainant;
• a venue;
• a caterer or accommodation provider;
• a practitioner or instructor;
• a travel provider;
• an insurer;
• a professional adviser; or
• another relevant organisation.

10. Who Will Investigate?

A complaint will normally be investigated by Michael or Stephanie.

Where the complaint concerns one partner directly, the other partner will normally lead the investigation where reasonably possible.

We may seek information or advice from:

• the relevant host, practitioner or instructor;
• the venue or accommodation provider;
• the caterer or travel provider;
• an insurer;
• an accountant, solicitor or other professional adviser;
• a safeguarding or healthcare professional; or
• another person reasonably necessary to understand the complaint.

Information will be shared only where reasonably necessary for the investigation, response or related legal obligation.

11. Fair Investigation

During the investigation, we may:

• review booking confirmations and payment records;
• review relevant emails and WhatsApp messages;
• speak to the complainant;
• speak to people involved in the service;
• ask for further information or clarification;
• review photographs, incident records or venue information;
• consider the Booking Terms and service description;
• consider relevant consumer, equality and data-protection obligations; and
• identify whether an immediate corrective action is required.

We will consider relevant evidence from all sides and avoid reaching a decision merely because one person raised the complaint first.

12. Our Written Response

Our substantive response will normally:

• summarise the complaint;
• explain the enquiries made;
• set out the main relevant findings;
• state whether the complaint is upheld, partly upheld or not upheld;
• give reasons for the decision;
• explain any proposed remedy or action;
• identify any information that cannot lawfully be disclosed;
• explain how to request a review; and
• provide information about any applicable external complaint or dispute process.

13. Possible Outcomes and Remedies

The appropriate outcome will depend on the facts and may include:

• an explanation or clarification;
• an apology;
• correcting inaccurate information;
• completing part of a service;
• repeating or rescheduling a suitable service;
• an alternative treatment or activity;
• a proportionate refund;
• a credit or transfer where agreed;
• repairing or reimbursing proven direct loss where appropriate;
• contacting a venue or supplier;
• staff, host or practitioner guidance;
• a change to a procedure or website page; or
• an explanation of why no further action is justified.

A remedy will be proportionate to the problem established and any legal rights applying to the booking.

Offering a goodwill gesture does not necessarily amount to an admission of legal liability.

14. Refund Complaints

Complaints about deposits, cancellations and refunds will be considered alongside our:

Booking Terms and Cancellation Policy .

We will consider:

• the terms provided before booking;
• the date and reason for cancellation;
• the payments made;
• non-recoverable supplier costs;
• costs saved because the guest did not attend;
• whether the place was or could reasonably be resold;
• whether the booked service was properly provided; and
• any applicable statutory consumer rights.

Cancellation charges will not be used merely as a punishment for raising a complaint or cancelling a booking.

15. Health, Safety and Safeguarding Complaints

A serious health, safety or safeguarding concern may require immediate action rather than waiting for the normal complaints timetable.

Depending on the circumstances, we may:

• pause an activity or treatment;
• separate people involved;
• contact a venue manager;
• seek medical or emergency assistance;
• contact a safeguarding professional or authority;
• preserve relevant records;
• notify an insurer; or
• contact the police or another appropriate body.

Confidentiality cannot be promised where disclosure is reasonably necessary to protect someone from serious harm, investigate possible criminal conduct or comply with a legal obligation.

16. Equality and Accessibility Complaints

Complaints about disability access, discrimination, harassment or reasonable adjustments will be considered carefully and without making assumptions about the person concerned.

We will consider:

• the barrier or disadvantage experienced;
• the adjustment requested;
• the information available before booking;
• the effectiveness and practicality of possible adjustments;
• venue or supplier involvement;
• health and safety considerations; and
• whether another suitable arrangement could have been offered.

Please also read our Accessibility Statement .

17. Data-Protection Complaints

A data-protection complaint is a complaint that Retreat Into Wellness has not handled personal information in accordance with applicable data-protection law.

This may concern:

• collecting unnecessary personal information;
• using information for an unexpected purpose;
• inappropriate disclosure;
• failure to keep information secure;
• retaining information for too long;
• inaccurate personal information;
• marketing communications;
• photographs or testimonials;
• failure to respond appropriately to a data-rights request; or
• another concern about how personal information was handled.

Data-protection complaints may be sent to:

This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Please write “Data Protection Complaint” in the email subject where possible.

We will:

• provide a clear way to make the complaint;
• acknowledge receipt within the legally applicable period;
• make appropriate enquiries without undue delay;
• keep the complainant informed where the investigation continues;
• communicate the outcome without undue delay; and
• explain the right to complain to the Information Commissioner’s Office.

A data-protection complaint may also contain a request to access, correct or delete personal information. Where this occurs, we will identify and handle the relevant request under the appropriate data-protection procedure.

18. Complaining to the Information Commissioner

Please raise the matter with Retreat Into Wellness first so that we have an opportunity to investigate and respond.

You also have the right to raise a data-protection complaint with the UK Information Commissioner’s Office.

Information about making a complaint is available at:

Information Commissioner’s Office

Raising a complaint with Retreat Into Wellness does not remove your right to contact the Information Commissioner.

19. Complaints About an Independent Supplier

A retreat may involve a venue, accommodation provider, caterer, instructor, therapist, airline, transfer company or another supplier.

Where the service formed part of the Retreat Into Wellness contract, we will consider the complaint and our responsibility under the contract and applicable consumer law.

Where the customer contracted independently with another business, we may direct the customer to that business’s complaints procedure.

We will not incorrectly describe a contracted service as independent merely to avoid responsibility.

20. European and Package-Travel Complaints

A complaint about a European retreat may be subject to additional package-travel, aviation or financial-protection procedures.

The final booking information should identify:

• the package organiser;
• whether Retreat Into Wellness acts as organiser or agent;
• the relevant travel supplier;
• financial-protection details;
• ATOL information where applicable; and
• any specific complaint or assistance procedure.

Nothing in this general Complaints Policy removes rights available under applicable package-travel or aviation law.

21. Requesting a Review

Where you believe the substantive response overlooked relevant evidence or misunderstood a material part of the complaint, you may request a review.

A review request should normally be made within 14 days after the response and should explain:

• which finding you dispute;
• what relevant information was overlooked;
• why the original decision may be incorrect; and
• the outcome you are seeking.

A request that merely repeats the original complaint without identifying a review point may not require a complete new investigation.

Where reasonably possible, the review will be handled by the partner who did not lead the original investigation.

22. Alternative Dispute Resolution

Alternative Dispute Resolution, often called ADR, can include mediation or another independent process intended to resolve a consumer dispute without court proceedings.

Where Retreat Into Wellness is required by law, contract, membership or a specific travel arrangement to participate in a particular complaint or ADR scheme, the relevant details will be provided when communicating the outcome of the complaint.

Where no mandatory scheme applies, Retreat Into Wellness may still consider voluntary mediation or another suitable ADR process on a case-by-case basis.

Agreeing to consider ADR does not prevent either party from obtaining independent legal advice or exercising rights that cannot lawfully be restricted.

23. Consumer Advice and Legal Rights

This Complaints Policy does not:

• remove statutory consumer rights;
• prevent a person seeking independent advice;
• prevent contact with Trading Standards or another regulator;
• prevent a data-protection complaint to the Information Commissioner;
• prevent a person reporting possible criminal conduct;
• prevent an insurance claim; or
• prevent court proceedings where appropriate.

Consumers may obtain independent information about their rights from the Citizens Advice consumer service.

24. Complaints Made on Behalf of Another Person

A representative may make a complaint on behalf of another person.

We may ask for evidence that the person concerned has authorised the representative to act, particularly where the complaint involves:

• health information;
• booking or payment information;
• a refund;
• personal correspondence;
• a data-protection request; or
• another confidential matter.

Different arrangements may apply where the person lacks capacity, is a child, or an urgent safeguarding or legal issue is involved.

25. Anonymous Complaints

Anonymous concerns will be considered where sufficient information is available.

However, anonymity may limit our ability to:

• verify the facts;
• ask follow-up questions;
• identify the relevant booking;
• provide a personal remedy; or
• report the outcome to the complainant.

Serious safety, safeguarding, discrimination or criminal concerns will still be considered carefully.

26. Unreasonable or Abusive Conduct

Raising a persistent or strongly expressed complaint does not by itself make the complaint unreasonable.

However, we may set proportionate communication boundaries where conduct includes:

• threats or violence;
• harassment or discriminatory abuse;
• knowingly false or malicious allegations;
• repeated demands for a different answer after a fair review has concluded;
• excessive repeated communications that prevent proper investigation;
• publishing private information to intimidate someone; or
• refusal to communicate without abusive language.

Where restrictions are necessary, we may:

• require communication in writing;
• nominate one contact person;
• limit responses to genuinely new information;
• set reasonable contact times; or
• end communication where the complaint has been fully investigated and no new material issue is raised.

Restrictions will not be used to avoid a legitimate complaint, data-protection obligation, safeguarding issue or statutory right.

27. Confidentiality and Personal Information

Complaints will be handled as confidentially as reasonably possible.

Information may need to be shared with:

• the partners;
• the person complained about;
• a venue or supplier;
• an insurer;
• a professional adviser;
• a regulator or public authority;
• emergency services; or
• another person reasonably necessary to investigate or resolve the matter.

Personal information will be handled in accordance with our Privacy Notice .

We may be unable to disclose private information about another guest, worker, practitioner or supplier, even where that information formed part of our investigation.

28. Complaint Records

We may retain records of:

• the complaint received;
• the evidence considered;
• communications with the complainant and other people;
• the investigation and findings;
• the outcome and remedy;
• any review request;
• procedural improvements; and
• relevant insurance, legal or regulatory correspondence.

Records will be retained only for as long as reasonably necessary for complaint handling, business administration, insurance, safeguarding, legal claims or regulatory obligations.

29. Learning From Complaints

Where appropriate, we may use complaint findings to:

• improve website or booking information;
• clarify cancellation terms;
• change communication procedures;
• review venue or supplier arrangements;
• improve health and safety information;
• improve accessibility;
• provide guidance to hosts or practitioners; or
• reduce the likelihood of the same problem happening again.

Learning reviews will normally use anonymised or minimised information where individual identification is unnecessary.

30. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Complaints Policy to reflect changes to:

• our services or booking arrangements;
• the venues and suppliers used;
• data-protection requirements;
• consumer and ADR rules;
• travel arrangements; or
• our internal complaints process.

The current version will be published on this page with its latest revision date.