Key takeaways
- 1The organization's name as it appears on the certificate, and the certificate number if you have it.
- 2The site or activity concerned, if the organization has more than one. A certificate covers a stated scope.
A complaint is acted on once it can be validated. ISO/IEC 17021-1 §9.8.7 makes the certification body responsible for gathering and verifying the information needed to validate a complaint, and that work starts with what you send. A complaint that names the organization, the certificate, what happened and when, with evidence attached, can be checked. One that does not starts with questions back to you.
Which organization, which certificate
- The organization's name as it appears on the certificate, and the certificate number if you have it.
- The site or activity concerned, if the organization has more than one. A certificate covers a stated scope.
Check the certificate at cas.com.eg/certsearch before you write. Under §9.8.3, the first step is to confirm whether the complaint relates to certification activities the certification body is responsible for. A certificate issued by another body is a matter for that body.
What happened, and when
- The facts in order: dates, places, order, batch or delivery numbers, the names of the documents involved.
- What you expected, and what happened instead.
- If you have already raised it with the organization, say so and include its reply.
The CAS form asks for the same: a subject, a description with dates and any reference numbers, and the related certificate or client if you know it.
If you think a requirement of the standard was not met, describe the outcome you saw. Naming a clause is not necessary.
Evidence
- Documents, photographs, correspondence, reports. The CAS form accepts PDF, Word, Excel or image files, up to 6 files and 10 MB in total.
- Keep what you saw separate from what you were told.
- Send copies and keep the originals.
How to reach you
The standard requires acknowledgement, progress reports and the result to be given to the complainant whenever possible (§9.8.8). Without contact details that is not possible. The CAS form asks for a name and an email address for that reason, and the complainant's identity is treated confidentially. Phone and organization are optional.
What a complaint about a certified organization is examined against
Under §9.8.3, the examination considers the effectiveness of the certified management system. A complaint that shows a pattern, or a failure in a process the certificate covers, gives that examination something to work with. A disagreement about price or payment alone says little about whether the management system is effective.
If the issue is a decision about you
A decision CAS made about your own certification is the subject of an appeal, not a complaint: cas.com.eg/appeals. The appeal form asks why you believe the decision should be reconsidered and, optionally, the outcome you are hoping for.
CAS — An EGAC accredited MS certification body No. 012418. Accredited scope: ISO 9001, ISO 14001, ISO 45001, ISO 22000, ISO 50001 and ISO 22301. Certificates accredited for ISO 9001, 14001, 45001, 22000 and 50001 fall within EGAC's IAF MLA scope; ISO 22301 is accredited by EGAC and sits outside that scope.
Verify any certificate: cas.com.eg/certsearch
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