A revocation by the Global Institute for Biomedical Quality (GIBQ), operated by GIBQ Operations LLC, can be appealed, and a complaint can be raised about a certified vendor or about GIBQ itself. This page summarizes the process set out in the GIBQ Certification Procedures, Version 1.1, which govern if anything here differs.
Every route described below is a written route to certification@gibq.org. Each appeal is acknowledged in writing within 5 business days.
What can be appealed
A vendor may appeal a revocation, and a determination recording a withdrawal as a revocation. Declined applications, requests for information, and suspensions are not appealable.
A vendor whose application was declined may reapply at any time after correcting the deficiencies, unless the Procedures set a waiting period. Where an application turned on an out-of-date Certificate of Analysis or a lot identifier that did not match, a fresh application is usually the faster route.
How to appeal
The vendor's Authorized Representative emails certification@gibq.orgwithin 30 days after the revocation notice was sent, with the subject line “Appeal — GIBQ-YYYY-NNNN.” The appeal must:
- identify the decision appealed;
- state each reason the vendor believes the decision is wrong; and
- attach all documents the vendor wants considered.
A late appeal is not considered. If an appeal is missing required content, GIBQ notifies the vendor, who then has 7 days to complete it.
How appeals are decided
An appeal is decided by an Appeal Reviewer who did not make the decision under appeal, where GIBQ has designated one. Where GIBQ has not, the original decision-maker conducts a full new review of the entire record, including everything the vendor submits, and the decision states that the review was conducted by the original decision-maker.
While the appeal is pending, the registry shows “Under Appeal — Not Currently Active,” and the GIBQ Verified mark may not be displayed or referenced. GIBQ decides within 30 days after the appeal is complete, and may extend this once, by up to 15 days, with notice stating the reason.
The outcome is one of the following:
- the appeal is granted, and the certificate is reinstated under the same number, with its expiration date extended by the number of days it was inactive;
- the appeal is denied, and the status returns to Revoked; or
- the decision is modified, converting the revocation to a suspension with stated conditions and a deadline of at least 14 days to meet them.
The decision is in writing and states the outcome and its reasons. It is GIBQ's final decision.
About a certified vendor
Anyone may report that a certified vendor's documentation does not conform to the GIBQ 7-Point Standard, or that the GIBQ Verified mark is being displayed outside the terms of the GIBQ Verified Seal Usage Policy, by email to certification@gibq.org. A complaint should state the certificate number where known, the product concerned, and the basis for the concern.
Where a complaint gives a reasonable basis to believe a ground for revocation may exist, GIBQ may suspend the certificate pending review. GIBQ revokes only where a ground for revocation is established under the Procedures. The registry shows each certificate's status and its effective date; the grounds for a suspension or revocation are given to the vendor privately and are not published.
A certification is not revoked on an unsubstantiated allegation. The finding rests on the documentary record, as it does in an original audit.
About GIBQ
Complaints about the conduct of an audit, the handling of an application, the independence of a determination, or the operation of the public registry may be sent to the same address: certification@gibq.org. Any request by a GIBQ member, employee, or contractor for a payment or gift, or any promise of a particular outcome, should be reported to the same address.
State what occurred, the application or certificate reference where one exists, and the outcome sought. Complaints are reviewed by GIBQ and answered in writing.
Where a complaint shows that a determination was reached other than on the published criteria, the determination is reopened and the record corrected.
- This process does not provide compensation or damages.
- It does not resolve disputes between a vendor and its customers, or between a vendor and its testing laboratory.
- It does not substitute for a regulatory complaint. A matter within the jurisdiction of a regulatory authority should be raised with that authority.
Related: Audit Methodology · Independence & Conflict of Interest · GIBQ 7-Point Standard · Certification Procedures
To check the current status of an application, use the reference link issued in the confirmation of submission.