ESTA’s Code of Conduct plays a very important role in maintaining public confidence in the industry by assuring the public of uniformly high standards in their dealings with members of the Association. As one member of the public said: "ESTA membership does matter to many of us and we use it as a ‘recommendation’ when looking for a reliable vendor." This change to the Code of Conduct ensures that the public has a way to be heard if they feel they aren’t being dealt with in an ethical manner by an ESTA member.
The ESTA Code of Conduct is available on the ESTA website at the address below, along with the Procedure for Filing and Processing Complaints. The Procedure provides detailed information on how a complaint may be filed, the review process, how the actual hearing process works and what level of sanctions might be imposed. Filing a complaint is not a trivial matter - it requires considerable effort, as well as substantial documentation of the offense.
Complaints should be discussed, prior to filing, with the Chair of the Ethics Committee, Erik Magnuson, or with ESTA’s executive director, Lori Rubinstein. Upon learning the nature of the complaint they will: help to determine if a potential violation of the Code of Conduct has occurred, indicate to you whether the problem should first be heard in a court of law, attempt to help resolve the problem before a formal complaint is filed, and assist in understanding and complying with the complaint procedure.
(Lee Baldock)
