Complaint Handling Policy

1. Purpose and Scope

Albania For Business Sh.p.k. (“the Firm,” “we,” “us,” or “our”) is committed to providing a high standard of service to every client across company formation, legal, tax, accounting, licensing, real estate and recruitment/HR engagements. We recognize that, despite our best efforts, a client may sometimes feel that our service, advice, communication, fees or conduct has fallen short of what was agreed or expected.

This Policy explains how clients and prospective clients can raise a complaint, how the Firm will handle it, the timeframes clients can expect, and the options available if a client remains unsatisfied after our internal process has concluded. It applies to complaints about any service provided by the Firm, any employee, partner or contractor acting on the Firm’s behalf, and any fees charged in connection with an engagement.

This Policy does not replace, and operates alongside, the specific complaint or dispute-resolution mechanisms that may apply under a signed engagement letter, applicable professional regulations (for example, rules governing licensed lawyers or notaries involved in a matter), or Albanian consumer protection legislation.

2. Our Commitment to Clients

We treat every complaint as an opportunity to put things right and to improve how we work. In handling complaints, the Firm commits to the following principles:

• Accessibility: complaints can be raised free of charge, in writing, by phone or in person, in English or Albanian.
• Fairness and impartiality: every complaint is investigated objectively, without assuming the client is right or wrong before the facts are reviewed.
• Timeliness: complaints are acknowledged and resolved within the timeframes set out in Section 7.
• No detriment: raising a complaint will never affect the quality of service a client receives, whether the complaint is upheld or not.
• Confidentiality: complaints are handled discreetly and shared only with those who need to know in order to investigate and resolve the matter.
• Learning: root causes of complaints are reviewed periodically to reduce the likelihood of recurrence.

3. Definitions

3.1 Complaint

Any expression of dissatisfaction, whether justified or not, made by a client or prospective client about the provision of, or failure to provide, a service by the Firm, including dissatisfaction about fees, communication, delays, advice given, or the conduct of a member of staff.

3.2 Complainant

A client, former client or prospective client (or their authorized representative) who submits a complaint under this Policy.

3.3 Working Day

Any day other than a Saturday, Sunday or official public holiday in the Republic of Albania.

3.4 Client Relations Officer

The person designated by the Firm to receive, log, coordinate and oversee the resolution of complaints under this Policy (see Section 10).

4. How to Submit a Complaint

A complaint may be submitted through any of the following channels:

• Email: complaints@albania-for-business.com
• Phone: the Firm’s main contact number, followed by written confirmation where practical
• In person: to any member of staff, who will pass the complaint to the Client Relations Officer

Where possible, we encourage clients to first raise a concern informally with the team member or partner handling their matter, as many issues can be resolved quickly through direct conversation. If the client prefers to complain formally from the outset, or is not satisfied with the informal response, the formal process in Section 6 applies.

5. What to Include in a Complaint

To help us investigate efficiently, a complaint should ideally include:

• The complainant’s name, company (if applicable) and contact details.
• The service, matter reference or team member the complaint relates to.
• A description of what happened, including relevant dates.
• Copies of any relevant correspondence, invoices or documents.
• What outcome the complainant is seeking (e.g. explanation, correction, fee adjustment, apology).

A complaint will still be accepted and investigated if some of this information is missing; the Client Relations Officer will follow up to request anything necessary to proceed.

6. Formal Complaint Handling Process

6.1 Logging

Every formal complaint is logged in the Firm’s central complaints register on the day it is received, recording the date, channel, complainant, matter reference, nature of the complaint and assigned handler.

6.2 Acknowledgement

The Firm sends a written acknowledgement to the complainant within two (2) working days of receipt, confirming who is handling the complaint, how to contact them, and the expected timeframe for a full response.

6.3 Independent review

Wherever practical, the complaint is reviewed by someone who was not directly involved in the matter complained about — typically a partner, the Client Relations Officer, or another senior team member — to ensure an impartial assessment.

6.4 Investigation

The assigned handler reviews the client file, relevant correspondence and, where necessary, discusses the matter with the staff involved. The complainant may be contacted for clarification or additional information during this stage.

6.5 Response

The Firm provides a written response setting out the outcome of the investigation, whether the complaint is upheld, partly upheld or not upheld, the reasons for that conclusion, and any corrective action, remedy or fee adjustment offered. If the investigation cannot be completed within the timeframe in Section 7, the complainant is sent a written update explaining the delay and a revised expected date.

7. Timeframes

The Firm aims to resolve complaints as quickly as possible, applying the following target timeframes from the date a formal complaint is received:

8. Investigation Principles and Impartiality

Every complaint is investigated on its merits, based on the client file, correspondence, applicable engagement terms and professional standards, and any input from the staff involved. Where a complaint concerns a partner or senior team member, the investigation is led by another partner or, where appropriate, an external adviser, to preserve impartiality. Staff who are the subject of a complaint are given a fair opportunity to respond before conclusions are reached.

9. Possible Outcomes and Remedies

Depending on the findings of the investigation, the Firm may offer one or more of the following remedies, proportionate to the nature and impact of the complaint:

• A clear explanation of what happened and why.
• A correction of an error (e.g. re-filing a document, correcting a report).
• An apology, where appropriate.
• A full or partial fee adjustment, waiver or refund.
• A change to internal process or additional training to prevent recurrence.

Where a complaint is not upheld, the Firm will explain its reasoning clearly and set out the client’s options for further escalation under Section 11.

10. Roles and Responsibilities

10.1 Client Relations Officer

Responsible for logging all complaints in the central register, coordinating acknowledgements and responses, monitoring adherence to the timeframes in Section 7, and reporting complaint trends to senior management at least quarterly.

10.2 Assigned handler

The partner or senior staff member assigned to investigate a specific complaint is responsible for reviewing the file impartially, communicating with the complainant, and drafting the formal response for sign-off.

10.3 Senior management

Responsible for approving this Policy, reviewing quarterly complaint trend reports, approving remedies above a defined value threshold, and ensuring adequate resources are allocated to complaint handling.

10.4 All staff

Every team member is responsible for recognizing when a client expression of dissatisfaction should be treated as a complaint, passing it to the Client Relations Officer promptly, and cooperating fully with any investigation.

11. If You Remain Unsatisfied — Further Escalation

If a complainant is not satisfied with the Firm’s final written response, or if the Firm has not provided a final response within the timeframes set out in Section 7, the complainant may:

• Request that the matter be reviewed by a partner not previously involved, where this has not already occurred.
• Escalate the matter to the relevant Albanian professional or regulatory body, where the service complained about is provided by a licensed professional subject to that body’s oversight (for example, the Albanian National Chamber of Advocacy for matters involving licensed lawyers, or the Chamber of Notaries for notarial acts).
• Pursue the matter through the Albanian courts, or through mediation or arbitration where this is provided for in the applicable engagement letter.
• Where the complaint concerns the processing of personal data, contact the Albanian Information and Data Protection Commissioner (IDP).

12. Record-Keeping

The Firm maintains a central complaints register recording the date received, channel, complainant, nature of the complaint, assigned handler, outcome and any remedy provided. Complaint records are retained for a minimum of five (5) years, are reviewed periodically to identify trends and root causes, and are processed in accordance with the Firm’s Data Protection (GDPR) Policy and applicable Albanian data protection legislation.

13. Confidentiality and Data Protection

Information provided as part of a complaint is treated confidentially and used only for the purpose of investigating and resolving that complaint, reporting on complaint trends internally, and meeting the Firm’s legal and regulatory obligations. Personal data is processed in line with the Firm’s Data Protection (GDPR) Policy and is not shared with third parties except where necessary to resolve the complaint, where the complainant consents, or where required by law.

14. Fees Relating to Complaints

There is no charge to raise or have a complaint investigated under this Policy. Where a complaint concerns disputed fees, the Firm will not suspend the underlying engagement or apply additional charges solely because a complaint has been raised in good faith, save where separately agreed with the client or required to protect the Firm’s legal position.

15. Vulnerable Clients and Special Circumstances

The Firm recognizes that some complainants may need additional support to engage with this process — for example, due to language, health, bereavement or other personal circumstances. Staff handling a complaint should offer reasonable accommodations, such as extra time to respond, communication through a nominated representative, or a phone or in-person discussion in place of written correspondence, and should raise any such need with the Client Relations Officer.

16. Continuous Improvement

The Client Relations Officer prepares a quarterly summary of complaint volumes, themes and outcomes for senior management, identifying any recurring issues in service delivery, communication or documentation. Where a pattern is identified, the Firm will consider process changes, additional staff training, or updates to client-facing materials to reduce the likelihood of similar complaints in future.

17. Policy Review

This Policy is reviewed at least annually by the Client Relations Officer and approved by senior management, and additionally whenever complaint trends, client feedback or changes in applicable regulation indicate that an update is needed. The version history, effective date and next scheduled review date are recorded on the cover page of this document.

18. Contact

Complaints, or questions about this Policy, should be directed to the Client Relations Officer at complaints@albania-for-business.com. This Policy is published for transparency at albania-for-business.com/policies/complaint-handling-policy and forms part of the Firm’s wider compliance framework, alongside its AML & CTF Policy, Data Protection (GDPR) Policy and Client Engagement Terms.