Our approach
We want your experience of The Lincolnshire Marketer to be helpful, clear and reliable. If something falls short, please tell us. We will take your complaint seriously, consider it fairly and explain what we can do to resolve it. There is no charge for making a complaint.
This procedure covers our website, articles, digital resources, portal purchases and the support we provide. You can use it whether you are a reader, a business customer or a consumer.
How to make a complaint
Email hello@thelincolnshiremarketer.co.uk, ideally with “Complaint” in the subject line, or use our contact form. If you have already contacted us about the issue, you can reply to that email conversation.
Please include your name, how we can reply, a description of what happened and the outcome you would like. For a purchase, include the product name and order reference or purchase date if available. For an article or website problem, include the page link. Relevant correspondence or screenshots can help, but please remove unnecessary personal information and never send passwords or full payment-card details.
You do not need to provide every detail before contacting us. We can ask for anything else we need. If you need help using this procedure or would prefer a different way of communicating, let us know and we will discuss a suitable arrangement.
What happens next
We aim to acknowledge your complaint within 3 working days and provide a substantive response within 10 working days of receiving it. Working days are Monday to Friday, excluding bank holidays in England and Wales.
We will review the information you provide, check relevant records and ask for clarification where necessary. If we need more time, we will explain why, tell you when to expect our next response and keep you updated if that date changes.
Our response will explain what we found, the reasons for our decision and any proposed action. Depending on the issue, this might include an explanation or apology, correcting an article, resolving an access problem, fixing a resource or arranging a refund where appropriate. We will also explain any next steps and when agreed action should take place.
If you are unhappy with our response
Reply to our response and ask for a review, explaining which points remain unresolved and including any additional information you would like us to consider. We will review the complaint and our original decision. We aim to provide a final written response within a further 10 working days, or explain any delay and give you an updated timescale.
Our final response will set out our position and explain any further resolution options available. Where applicable, it will include details of any alternative dispute resolution arrangement and whether we are required or willing to participate. Alternative dispute resolution uses a third party to help resolve a dispute outside court.
Refunds, cancellations and your rights
If you simply want to cancel a portal purchase under our 14-day refund promise, you can follow our returns and cancellation policy directly. You do not need to complete this complaints procedure first. A complaint that clearly requests cancellation will also be treated as a cancellation request.
The response times above are service targets, not extensions to any legal deadline or refund timeframe. Making a complaint does not restrict your statutory rights, and you do not have to wait for our process to finish before seeking independent advice or using a remedy available to you by law.
Consumers in England and Wales can get independent guidance from the Citizens Advice consumer service. Its consumer guidance is separate from our internal complaints process.
Article corrections and feedback
If your concern is about accuracy, a source or the way an article is presented, please include the relevant link and explain the point you would like us to review. Our editorial policy explains how we approach research and corrections. You can still use this complaints procedure if you are unhappy with how an editorial concern has been handled.
Handling your information
We will use the information you provide to investigate and respond to your complaint, carry out any agreed action and meet applicable legal obligations. We will limit access to people who need it for those purposes and may keep a record of the complaint and outcome to help us resolve follow-up queries and improve our service.