- What is online community dispute resolution (OCDR)?
Community dispute resolution is PeopleClaim's new way to resolve disputes that engages the public to help in the resolution process and create greater access to justice. OCDR allows Peoplecaim users to post their disputes publicly (without the claiming party’s name or private info), and invite our community of online mediators to review, comment on, and propose creative resolutions to help bring both sides to a successful settlement. OCDR is a fairness-based system, which works because businesses and other organizations are increasingly aware of public opinion about the fairness of their policies and actions. OCDR can create a “public verdict” about the fairness of your claim and the best terms under which it should be resolved. OCDR is the future of justice – it's affordable to anyone, effective, and better reflects public expectations for fair treatment and good business practices.
- How does OCDR differ from traditional mediation or other forms of dispute resolution?
PeopleClaim’s OCDR process differs from traditional mediation and other forms of dispute resolution in several ways. It's generally much cheaper (free to extremely low cost) because our community helps resolve your case. It doesn’t require the consent of the other party to start a case – although cases are settled when both parties agree to terms of resolution submitted by either party or by the online mediation community. You and the other party can receive multiple resolutions from our community mediators to choose from. Cases may be negotiated in public or private at the claiming party’s option. Also, resolving a case on PeopleClaim doesn’t require court appearances, legal representation, or complicated processes. Simply tell the other party why you’re dissatisfied and what you want to make it right.
- Is OCDR right for my Problem?
PeopleClaim can help resolve a wide variety of dispute types and sizes in almost any location. You an use PeopleClaim as a first line of resolution to any claim. If your claim isn’t resolved by OCDR you can always pursue traditional options such as formal mediation or litigation. Our goal is to give you an effective, quick, and cost-effective way to resolve your dispute without the expense or hassle of courts or other processes. PeopleClaim cannot be used for certain types of claims where preempted by law, such as claims against businesses or individuals operating under bankruptcy protection.
- How long will it take me to file?
Claims typically take 7-12 minutes to file depending on how much information you
want to include. We've made it easy to file: you don't need to speak "legalese;"
just state what happened and what you want. You can return to your claim at any
time to add info or make changes.
- How long will it take to get my claim
resolved?
That depends on the nature of your claim, the reasonableness of your demands, and
the motivation of the other party to do the right thing and manage their online
reputation. Claims can be resolved in as little as a few hours; others take longer.
In some cases claims are resolved after people with similar problems file additional
claims, which can increase the incentive for the party you're filing against.
- Who can I file against?
You can use PeopleClaim to resolve a dispute against anyone, anywhere, including
product and service providers, police and government agencies, professionals, and
individuals. In cases where the counterparty has filed for bankruptcy, users are
strongly encouraged to check relevant laws. In general it is illegal to try to collect
from a business operating under federal bankruptcy protection.
- Can I file a claim without the other
party's permission?
PeopleClaim allows you engage any individual, business, or goverment agency in a
negotiated process of dispute resolution. We send your claim demands by email, physical
delivery, and/or posting on the web. Not responding to claims results in a downgrading
of the party's PeopleClaim reliabilty rating, and claim details remain posted on
the web until they're resolved to your satisfaction.
- What information do I need to file
a claim? Can I add information later?
You need the name of the business or other party you're filing against. It's best
to have an email address for them too, but not essential. You can add as much or
as little information as you want to suppport your claim. In general it's best to
stick to simple facts and what you are asking for. The other party can request additional
facts, and you can always add supporting documentation later.
- Is there a fee?
You can file up to three claims per month for free. Optional services, including
having your claim post publicly, copied to regulators, or sent by mail, involve
small fees: public posting, $14.99; copying your
claim to regulators, $14.99, A discounted bundled rate for all three of these optional
services is $25.00.
- Is your free claim-filing service
really free?
You can use PeopleClaim to file up to three claims per month at no charge, and use
the system for as long as it takes to resolve the claim. Because free claims make
it harder to know the identity of the filer, they do not include public posting.
They also are not eligible for third-party recommendations, and if unresponded to
they do not count against the other party's reliability rating. There are no hidden
charges in filing or resolving a PeopleClaim; however if your claim is not resolved
we may suggest you try one or more premium options to expedite resolution.
- How is your system so inexpensive?
PeopleClaim offers a powerful automated peer-to-peer system that allows you
to engage counterparties in an online process of claim statement, negotiation, and
resolution. Our goal is to make PeopleClaim affordable and easy to use for any type
of complaint or dispute.
- Is PeopleClaim part of the legal system? Is it litigation or mediation?
PeopleClaim is an independent resolution channel that allows users to exercise their
rights to resolve disputes through direct negotiation and in a public forum. It
does not require lawyers, mediators, or knowlege of law, and avoids many of the
restrictions and costs of formal legal process.
- Does PeopleClaim refer cases to lawyers?
PeopleClaim does not refer cases to lawyers and is not a legal referral service.
However, if your claim posts publicly and you enabled the lawyer-contact feature
when you filed your claim, lawyers may review the details of your claim online and
contact you to discuss your case.
- Do you guarantee I’ll get my claim
resolved?
PeopleClaim cannot guarantee claims will be resolved; however if you choose the
public posting option we do guarnatee that if it's not resolved to your satsifaction
it will remain online and available to search engine queries and public comment.
This provides a powerful and ongoing incentive to fair resolution. We also offer
a money back guarantee on the public posting fee if your claim is not resolved in
90 days. Charges for physical mail delivery and copying to regulators are not refundable.
- How does making a claim public help
get it resolved?
Businesses today want to do the right thing, or at least appear to do the right
thing. Exposure of bad behavior has become a stronger motivation in many cases than
going to court. Public posting on PeopleClaim allows search engines to index your
claim and make it easy for people to discover your problem. Bad behavior or unfair
treatment is a turnoff to other consumers using the web to make purchasing or hiring
decisions. The more people filing against the same party the stronger the incentive
to setttlement, which means that most businesses would rather fix a problem that's
disclosed online than let it remain posted. By making a claim public, you may also
be able to get the public to weigh in on suggestions for resolving your complaint.
- What can I expect in terms of public
participation?
The PeopleClaim system encourages the public to offer suggestions that both parties
can "like" as potential solutions to their dispute, thereby forming a basis for
potential settlement. There's a scoring system and participants compete to offer
the best and fairest resoluton suggestions. Such crowdsourced solutions reflect
public expectations of fairness and good business behavior. Any company interested
in its online reputation will consider these in deciding what to do about your claim.
Each case is different, but if public viewers find your case interesting you could
be on the receiving end of fresh ideas that move things toward resolution.
- Can I talk to other people who have
posted claims on PeopleClaim?
Yes. PeopleClaim allows you to communicate with claimants who've agreed to receive
communications from other parties. You can share information, pool resources, and
compare notes about the party you're filing against.
- Why do businesses settle claims through
PeopleClaim?
PeopleClaim helps businesses manage their online reputations through prompt and
fair settlement of claims posted through the PeopleClaim system. A business's PeopleClaim
reliabiltiy rating is determined largely by their resposiveness to PeopleClaims
filed against them – and maintaining a high rating is a strong incentive to fair
resolution. Publicly posted PeopleClaims bring issues to light that responsible
businesses want to know about and fix.
- How can my business benefit from
PeopleClaim?
Every business owner knows the secret to retaining customers and avoiding litigation
risk is to resolve disputes early and fairly. PeopleClaim is your online channel
to discover complaints and resolve them quickly, efficiently, and at low cost. PeopleClaim's
process makes it easy to promote an online reputation and keep customers happy.
We also offer a WeCare premium profile for businesses and professionals. A WeCare
profile helps drive customers to your website and FaceBook page, and lets you communicate
directly with customers to help resolve disputes constructively.
Learn more
about about WeCare profiles