CONSUMER PROTECTION ACT IMPLEMENTATION ADVISORY SERVICE
The Consumer Protection Act will forever change the way that South African organisations do business.read more

Compliance Audit

Onlineombud will assist you in isolating those provisions of the Act that apply to your business, assess your current level of compliance and assist you in implementing the necessary improvements and changes.

Plain language compliance

In association with Simplified and a panel of legal experts, Onlineombud will help you to ensure that all your documents and agreements are written in plain language, as is required by the Consumer Protection Act.

Training

We provide onsite training on the Consumer Protection Act, tailored to the needs of your organisation (see below).

Internal complaint resolution

We can assist your organisation in implementing an appropriate complaint handling approach, to ensure that complaints do not escalate into the public domain.

Training

In conjunction with the Facilitation Workshop, Onlineombud offers customised training and briefings on the CONSUMER PROTECTION ACT and writing documents in plain language.

Possible course content.

• Why the Consumer Protection Act?
• What the Act Applies to
• Suppliers’ obligations
• Marketing practices
• The agreement and its terms
• The requirements that apply to goods and services.
• What you need to do to get it right.
• When a consumer is dissatisfied.

In conjunction with the Institute for Professional Legal Training, which is affiliated to the University of KwaZulu Natal, Onlineombud offers the following courses:

• Ombudsman 101
• Complaint management
• Mediation
• Customer service
• Leadership
• Report writing

Tanzanite Seal
Onlineombud operates the Tanzanite Reliability Seal programme that assures consumers that they will receive a fair deal from the subscribing member or have access to impartial redress.

Ombudsman Consultancy

Onlineombud also provides a consultancy service to assist organisations or sectors in setting up a dispute resolution/ombudsman mechanism or in ensuring the effectiveness of any existing or internal system. This includes recruitment, training, process creation/ complaint management software and, if required, mentoring. Services can be customised to your requirements.

Mediation & arbitration

The use of alternative dispute resolution in achieving a speedy and inexpensive closure to disputes has increased as a result of the inefficiency of formal structures such as the courts.

Mediation
is a process through which the parties can achieve win - win settlements with the assistance of a neutral facilitator

Arbitration
is a more file formal process in which the parties are given the opportunity to present their evidence and arguments, in much the same way as in a court, and the neutral arbitrator arrives at a decision binding on the parties. Experienced advocate, ombudsman, mediator and peacemaker Neville Melville is highly qualified to provide mediation and arbitration services of a wide range of disputes.

Strategic planning

Neville Melville received training in strategic planning as part of the Senior Executive Programme at Harvard Business School and of the Graduate Diploma in Company Direction from the Graduate School of Business. Locally, he formulated the strategic plans of both the Independent Complaints Directorate, a countrywide organisation with 9 offices, and the office of the Ombudsman for Banking Services and, internationally, he was on the strategic planning committee of the US-based Ombudsman Association.

Peacemaking

Third party mediator in disputes of any magnitude. Neville Melville contributed as a peacemaker under the National Peace Accord that led to South Africa’s first democratic elections in 1994, as Police Reporting Officer for the province of Natal. He contributed towards ensuring a peaceful transition to democracy in the 'killing fields' of Natal. This literally involved mediating at burning barricades and presiding over peace meetings with participants as diverse as the tribal authorities, the ANC, the police and the army.