1. Our commitment
SAMI aims to handle complaints fairly, respectfully, promptly, and without retaliation. A complaint can concern website information, staff conduct, application support, portal access, privacy, payment, or another SAMI-controlled service.
2. Before making a formal complaint
For a simple error or support issue, contact the staff member or team handling the matter. Many issues can be corrected immediately. You may still make a formal complaint at any time.
3. How to complain
Email info@sami.uz with the subject “Formal complaint”, or deliver a written complaint to SAMI-SM MCHJ, Niyozbek Passage 3, 6a, Tashkent 100000, Uzbekistan.
Include:
- your full name and contact details;
- portal, application, invoice, or event reference if available;
- what happened and when;
- names of people involved, if known;
- documents, messages, or other evidence;
- the effect on you; and
- the outcome you are seeking.
If you need accessibility or language support, tell us. A representative may complain for you if they show appropriate authority.
4. Acknowledgement and response times
We aim to acknowledge a formal complaint within three working days.
We aim to provide a substantive written response within fifteen working days after receiving enough information to investigate. If the matter is complex, depends on a university or provider, or requires further evidence, we will explain the delay and give a revised target date.
Urgent safety, discrimination, fraud, data-security, or deadline issues are prioritised according to risk.
5. Investigation
A person with appropriate authority will review relevant records, speak to involved staff, consider the agreement and applicable policy, and give the complainant a fair opportunity to explain. Where practical, a person not directly responsible for the disputed action will lead the review.
The response will summarise the issue, findings, reasons, and any remedy or next step. Possible remedies include an explanation, correction, apology, service action, staff review, payment adjustment where due, or a finding that no further action is required.
6. Internal escalation
If you disagree with the response, request an internal review within ten working days and explain the specific error, missing evidence, or remedy sought. A senior manager or director not responsible for the original response will review the matter where practicable.
We aim to issue the review outcome within fifteen working days.
7. External escalation
If the complaint remains unresolved, available options depend on the issue and jurisdiction. They may include:
- the competent Uzbekistan consumer-protection, personal-data, or other regulatory authority;
- an EU or UK data-protection supervisory authority where the relevant law applies;
- the relevant university or third-party provider for a decision controlled by it;
- mediation;
- arbitration, but only where the parties have a valid arbitration agreement or later agree in writing; or
- a court with lawful jurisdiction.
Using this process does not remove a right to contact a regulator, report a crime, seek urgent relief, or use a mandatory consumer remedy.
8. Confidentiality and records
Complaint information is shared only with people who need it to investigate, respond, obtain advice, or comply with law. We retain complaint records under the Privacy Policy.
9. Unacceptable conduct
We will not reject a complaint merely because it is critical. We may, however, set proportionate communication boundaries where conduct is threatening, abusive, discriminatory, knowingly false, or excessively repetitive. This does not prevent fair consideration of the underlying complaint.