The Office of Fair Trading (OFT) recently granted approval to The Ombudsman Service Limited (tOSL) to run an estate agents’ redress scheme called the Surveyors Ombudsman Service (SOS).

SOS has become the second redress scheme to be approved by the OFT. In June 2008 the Ombudsman for Estate Agents Company Limited’s (OEACL) estate agent redress scheme was also granted approval. tOSL originally established the SOS to handle complaints regarding members of the Royal Institution of Charted Surveyors (RICS). This service will now be made available for any estate agent to join.

As of the 1st October all estate agents who deal with residential property will be required to become a member of a redress scheme. The service will allow both buyers and sellers to refer complaints regarding members for resolution. Both SOS and OEACL’s decisions on complaints will be binding to its members and they have been granted the power to issue levels of compensation to consumers.

Elizabeth France, chief ombudsman at the SOS, told PIN: “We are delighted that the OFT has given its approval for us to run an estate agent redress scheme. We have the skills, people and processes to enable us to effectively resolve complaints. As we move towards the new environment for consumers beginning on the 1st October, I look forward to using the experience we have gained in running ombudsman services for other industry sectors to provide the best possible service to estate agents, who choose to join our service, and their customers.”