Return Form Submission, Audit, Certification - Email

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Return Form Submission, Audit, Certification

The Return Form is a submission in which the distribution claim is reported to ABC for certification. Each Email Newsletter claim is subject to audit.

Principles

1. A Return Form must be submitted for the registered product for every applicable Reporting Period

2. The Return Form must be submitted by the Submission Deadline

3. ABC will issue a Certificate based on the Return Form

4. Each Email Newsletter distribution claim is audited to verify it is in accordance with the applicable Reporting Standards

Requirements 

1. A Return Form must be submitted for the registered product for every applicable Reporting Period

1.  You must submit a Return Form for the Reporting Period you have chosen to report.

2. We will advise you how to submit your Return Form and by when. For example, online via the ABC return website. However, if you have not heard from us at the appropriate time please contact us.

3. You will submit your Return Form to us, authorised by an appropriate individual representing your organisation.

4. Whilst our systems contain some arithmetic and logic validation processes, the accuracy of the Return Form remains your responsibility.

5. Estimates and assumptions must not be made on the Return Form unless the Reporting Standards allow for them, or we have authorised them.

2. The Return Form must be submitted by the Submission Deadline

1.  We will inform you of the applicable Submission Deadline.

2. It is your responsibility to ensure Return Forms are submitted by the Submission Deadline. Failure to do so can result in a penalty and/or cancellation of your product’s ABC registration under the ABC Byelaws.

3. ABC will issue a Certificate based on the Return Form

1.  We will publish the certified data on our website subject to any timing criteria applicable to the sector. We may also make arrangements to provide our data to be published via commercial data providers and to those who subscribe to our data services.

2. We will confirm when Email Newsletter distribution figures will become publicly available, normally 5 working days after a draft Certificate has been sent to you.

4. Each Email Newsletter distribution claim is audited to verify it is in accordance with the applicable Reporting Standards

1. The audit must be carried out by ABC Staff Auditors.

2. Requirements in relation to the auditor and audits will be covered by the ABC Byelaws, ABC Audit Programmes and contractual arrangements.

3. If following an audit we identify material problems with the Return Form or Certificate, then we will propose to revise the claim. If a Certificate has already been issued we will issue an updated certificate that identifies the changes. This replaces your original Certificate and must be used in its place. The process is as follows:

   1. We will send you a letter detailing the reason/problem giving rise to the amendment.

   2. You will have 10 working days from the receipt of this letter to provide any further information to us, or object to the revision of the claim.

   3. If you wish to object to the revision of the claim you must do this in writing to the Director of Audit who will investigate and provide a decision within 10 working days. If the objection is to a decision by the Director of Audit or the Chief Executive then the first level of appeal will be in accordance with the Review Procedure detailed in the ABC Byelaws.

   4. Subsequent Certificates will not be issued until we have resolved all queries on a previous audit and issued the updated Certificate, if applicable.

Guidance

No additional guidance.