Complaints procedure

Complaints Policy 

We welcome and value your feedback and take note of all the information supporters provide to us, using your calls, emails, letters, survey responses, and of course the discussions we have with supporters’ groups, to form a measured understanding on any views and suggestions relating to Club policy and services.  

We recognize that sometimes things do go wrong, and if that happens, we will always try to resolve any concerns quickly and informally in the first instance. Most concerns are resolved in this way, and no further action is usually needed by us. 

However, we understand that sometimes our informal response may not have resolved things for you, and you feel you need to submit a formal complaint to the Club.   

London Stadium 

West Ham United does not own either London Stadium or Victoria Road Stadium. 

However, we are always looking to ensure our supporters have a positive experience when coming to London Stadium and Victoria Road Stadium. If you have had a negative experience at our stadiums related to the stadium operators, for example: 

stewarding, security checks, food and catering, or you are seeking compensation for loss or damage for something that happened at the stadium, you can in the first instance, raise these concerns with Supporter Services who manage the life cycle of your enquiry, working with the Stadium operators. 

You are also welcome to refer enquiries directly to The London Stadium at: 

Iyou wish to make an official complaint regarding any matter relating to The London Stadium please email: Complaints@london-stadium.com 

Details can also be found on this page https://www.london-stadium.com/contact-us.html 

The London Stadium will write to you directly, to answer your concerns.  

Matchday complaints 

We appreciate that some concerns may require a joint investigation if the matter complained about concerns issues involving both London Stadium and West Ham United Football Club.  

You can raise these concerns directly with our Supporter Services team. They will manage the complaint from start to finish and will liaise with London Stadium on your behalf.  

West Ham United Football Club will not be held responsible for any investigations carried out by London Stadium. Nor will we be held responsible for any responses London Stadium provide us where there is a joint investigation carried out by West Ham United Football Club and London Stadium.  

In all complaints, we cannot determine the outcome of London Stadium’s investigation, nor can we ask them to review the outcome or reach a different decision. 

 

 

 

How do I make a complaint? 

Anyone can contact West Ham United with an enquiry, feedback or if you feel you need to make a complaint. You can: 

Write to us at: West Ham United, London Stadium, Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, London, E20 2ST 

Complete our online form athttps://whufc.freshdesk.com/support/tickets/new  

Alternatively, you can email the relevant department directly to raise your concerns. Contact details of other departments can be found on our home page at: https://www.whufc.com/contact-us 

If you are asking someone to make a complaint on your behalf, we would need written consent from you that we can contact your appointed person to discuss and respond to your complaint, as this may involve sharing sensitive information with your appointed person.  

Time limits for raising a complaint 

If something happens that doesn’t meet your expectations, we want to know about it as soon as possible to allow us the opportunity to carry out a prompt investigation. We don’t normally investigate things that have happened more than 3 months ago, but if you feel there are exceptional circumstances as to why you are making your complaint late, please let us know. We will then consider on a case-by-case basis as to whether we will investigate. 

What we need from you 

Please give us a brief description of what you are complaining about. For instance, if your complaint is related to a matchday, things that help us to investigate are: 

  • Fixture you attended 

  • Block/Row/Seat number/ticket reference 

  • The time the incident happened 

  • Gate/bridge entrance  

  • Description of person(s) involved 

  • Name(s) of anyone you reported the matter to.  

Complaints process – what to expect 

West Ham United Football Club have a two stage complaints investigation process. 

On submitting your complaint, you will receive an acknowledgement and a six -digit ticket reference number unique to your complaint. Please quote this when responding to us.  

The Supporter Services team will normally act as the intermediary between the supporter and the relevant department to ensure the review is handled effectively and concluded in a timely manner. 

We will, at Stage 1 & 2: 

  • Investigate the complaint thoroughly and reasonably, using resources available to us at the time.  

  • Treat all those involved in the complaint fairly.  

  • Ensure personal data is handled appropriately. 

  • Update you on the progress of the complaint, particularly if our investigation is going to take longer than 10 working days.  

Stage 1 – Informal resolution 

We believe that informal resolution is the most effective means of resolving things. We aim to acknowledge your complaint within two working days and respond informally to your concerns, within 10 working days. However, if we need more time to carry out our investigations, we will let you know.    

Stage 2 – Formal Investigation 

If we haven’t been able to resolve matters at Stage 1, or the complaint is too serious or complex to be dealt with at Stage 1, we will proceed to Stage 2 of this process. Your complaint will be passed to the person best placed to investigate and answer your concerns. 

As with Stage 1 we aim to acknowledge your formal complaint within 2 working days and respond informally to your concerns, within 10 working days. However, if we need more time to carry out our investigations, or we need more information from you, we will let you know.    

Complaints at Stage 2 will be investigated, and a formal outcome provided which will include: 

  • A review of what has happened and the findings of the investigation.  

  • Our decision about the complaint; and  

Details of next steps, including where appropriate what we will do to put things right Stage 2 is the final stage in our complaint investigation process. 

Next Steps 

If you are unhappy with our Stage 2 response, you are free to refer the matter to the Independent Football Ombudsman (IFO). You can contact the IFO: 

By post: Premier House, 1-5 Argyle Way, Stevenage, Hertfordshire, SG1 2AD 

by e-mail to: contact@theifo.co.uk 

or via the website: www.theifo.co.uk 

You may initially register your concerns by phone and can contact the IFO on 0330 165 4223 

You can find out about their complaint procedure at: 

Matters where you have a formal or legal right of appeal 

Where the matter complained about is either the subject of a criminal investigation or, where our appeals process is the most appropriate way of addressing your concerns, we will be unable to conduct our complaints investigation process until such matters are resolved.   

If you commence legal action against the Club in relation to your complaint, we will likely suspend the complaints process in relation to your complaint until legal proceedings have concluded. You can choose to withdraw your complaint at any point. If you do decide this, we will ask for written confirmation from you. If you choose to withdraw your complaint, we will not re-open it later, except for in exceptional circumstances. 

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Our Supporter Services team are available from Monday to Friday, 09:00 - 17:00 and on home matchdays from two hours before kick-off on X.

You can get in touch with us by:

West Ham Help Centre: Submitting an enquiry

Email: supporterservices@westhamunited.co.uk

X: @WestHamHelp

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