Last updated: 6 July 2026
This procedure explains how to raise a complaint about how Callyard has handled personal data, and exactly how we respond. It exists because the Data (Use and Access) Act 2025 gives people a statutory right to complain to the organisation responsible for their data first, and requires that organisation to acknowledge the complaint without undue delay, take appropriate steps to respond, and tell the person the outcome. This document is how Callyard meets that duty.
It is written for two audiences: the people who might complain, and the person inside Callyard who handles complaints.
Who to complain to first
Callyard handles personal data in two roles, and that decides who you contact first.
- If you are a Callyard client (a trade business who subscribes to the service), Callyard is the controller for your account data. Complain to us directly using the contact below.
- If you are a caller or customer who rang or messaged a business that uses Callyard, that business is the controller and Callyard is only its processor. Please complain to the business you contacted first, because they decide how your data is used. If you complain to us instead, we will not ignore you: we will acknowledge you, pass your complaint to the business promptly, and help them respond, as our Data Processing Agreement requires.
You always retain the right to complain to the Information Commissioner's Office as well (see the end of this document). The Data (Use and Access) Act encourages, but does not force, you to come to us first.
How to raise a complaint
Email hello@callyard.co.uk with "Complaint" in the subject line, or tell us during any call or message. Please include, if you can:
- your name and a way to reach you back,
- what happened and when,
- the business you were dealing with, if you are a caller or customer,
- what you would like us to put right.
You do not need to use any particular form of words, quote any law, or use a special form. A complaint is any expression of dissatisfaction about how we have handled personal data.
What happens next, and by when
1. Acknowledgement, within 5 business days. We confirm we have received your complaint, log it, and tell you who is handling it. Every complaint is recorded with the date it arrived and the date we acknowledged it, so the acknowledgement window is auditable.
2. Investigation. We look into what happened. If you are a caller or customer and the controller is one of our clients, we route your complaint to them within the same 5 business days and support their response.
3. Outcome, normally within one month. We tell you what we found, what we have done or will do about it, and why. If a complaint is complex and needs longer, we tell you before the month is up, explain why, and give you a revised date. This mirrors the one-month response window we apply to data subject requests.
4. Record. We keep a record of the complaint, our handling of it and the outcome, so we can review patterns and improve. Complaint records are held only as long as needed for that purpose and then deleted in line with our Privacy Policy.
If you are not satisfied
If our response does not resolve things, tell us and we will look again. You can also complain at any time to the UK Information Commissioner's Office, whether or not you have come to us first:
- Online: ico.org.uk
- Phone: 0303 123 1113
- Post: Information Commissioner's Office, Wycliffe House, Water Lane, Wilmslow, Cheshire SK9 5AF