About

Your satisfaction is important to us

The British Oceanographic Data Centre is committed to providing a quality service. However, despite our best efforts, things may go wrong. Your satisfaction is important to us so we would like an opportunity to put things right as soon as possible. Our complaints procedure is described below and is also available to download

Download an Adobe PDF version of the BODC complaints procedure Adobe PDF version of the BODC complaint procedure (72 KB)

Our complaints procedure

If you are dissatisfied with our service, please contact the BODC staff member who you initially dealt with, in the first instance.

If you are dissatisfied with their response, please write to

Enquiries Officer
British Oceanographic Data Centre
Joseph Proudman Building
6 Brownlow Street
Liverpool L3 5DA, UK

Fax: 0151 795 4912
enquiries@bodc.ac.uk

In your correspondence, describe the complaint clearly with suggestions on how you think we could sort things out. Please include your full name and contact details, so we can get back to you.

Our Enquiries Officer will investigate and respond to your complaint.

  • We will acknowledge your complaint and give you a timescale for our full reply.
  • We will investigate all complaints thoroughly and send you a full written response - normally within 20 working days of receiving your complaint.
  • If we are unable to send a final response within that timescale, we will send you an interim reply telling you why and when you can expect to know the outcome.

In the unlikely event that you remain unhappy, you can ask for your complaint to be referred to our Director who will complete a review and write to you with a full and swift response.

If you remain dissatisfied, you may

  • Write to the Executive Director of the National Oceanography Centre, who will initiate a further formal investigation and reply to you with his findings. His address is

    Professor Ed Hill
    Executive Director
    National Oceanography Centre
    University of Southampton Waterfront Campus
    European Way
    Southampton SO14 3ZH, UK
    Tel: +44 (0)23 8059 6666

If you still remain dissatisfied you might consider

  • Contacting your Member of Parliament, who may agree to refer your complaint to the Parliamentary Commissioner for Administration (the Parliamentary Ombudsman)
  • Writing to the Information Commissioner, if your complaint is about a request for information under the Freedom of Information Act, the Environmental Information Regulations or the Data Protection Act.

    The Information Commissioner
    Information Commissioner's Office
    Wycliffe House
    Water Lane
    Wilmslow
    Cheshire SK9 5AF

    Fax: 01625 524 510
    http://www.informationcommissioner.gov.uk