What to do if you have a complaint
If you have a complaint about work that a tradesman has completed, there are a number of things you should do:
• Act quickly, confront the tradesman with the problem that you have and offer him a chance to rectify it within a reasonable time scale.
• Gather all of your estimates, receipts, invoices etc and keep them safe.
• Make notes of any conversations you have with the trader about the problem.
If the tradesman does not respond to this, write to him with a list of any faults/complaints you may have about the work and give him a reasonable time to respond. By contacting your local Trading Standards Office or Citizen's Advice Bureau they may have information packs on writing these letters and on your consumer rights. Always keep a copy of any correspondence sent and send any mail recorded delivery so that you can check it was received. The letter should contain details such as:
• A description of the service
• The date it was carried out
• The price you paid and method of payment
• The date you contacted the tradesman about the complaint and comments on the discussion
• Any other action you have taken (i.e. contacted Trading Standards or CAB)
• What you would like the tradesman to do to rectify the situation and by when (which must be a reasonable time scale). This could include repair to faulty workmanship or payment to another contractor to put faults right.
If the tradesman makes a reasonable offer, bear in mind that accepting an offer normally means that you cannot ask for more later. If you are uncertain whether to accept or not, you should seek further advice.
If you should still not have any response or an offer that you find acceptable, your local Trading Standards Office can help you mediate a solution to the problem.
If the tradesman still refuses and your claim is justified you can pursue the matter in the County Court or via an arbitration scheme offered by some trade associations if the tradesman is a member.
This is not an authorative interpretation of the law and is only intended for guidance.