How the BBRS operates

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Why was the BBRS established?

The BBRS was established as a dispute resolution service between eligible SME customers and participating banks, and was free for all eligible SME customers.

Unlike schemes that have been set up by law, known as statutory schemes, the BBRS was a voluntary service. This meant that the legal rights and obligations of SME customers, banks and the BBRS in relation to the dispute resolution scheme were not governed by an Act of Parliament but by these contracts:

• the Scheme Rules, which set out the processes by which the BBRS would accept and decide on complaints;
• the Participation Deed, by which participating banks agreed to participate in the scheme and comply with the Scheme Rules;
• the Customer Agreement, by which an SME customer agreed to participate in the scheme and comply with the Scheme Rules.

The BBRS expected all those involved to act reasonably and in good faith

The aim of the BBRS was to provide timely, effective and fair resolution to disputes. Our service was designed to be a better alternative to going to court, which could be costly and time-consuming. So that we could achieve our aim, all parties involved in a case were required to act in good faith. This meant that the BBRS, the bank and the SME customer would at all times act reasonably and deal with one another in an honest and open way.