Your Life

Poor Service

What do we mean by a service?

A service can be anything from a haircut to facilities you have paid to use at your local sports centre.

Here are some examples of services you may already use:

  • Hairdressers/Barber
  • Sports Centre or gym
  • Cinema or live music gig
  • Bowling alley
  • Taxi or Limousine hire
  • Repairs to your mobile phone, computer or bicycle
  • Dry Cleaners

Sometimes things can go wrong or not turn out as you expect them to. So what do you do if you hair is accidentally turned green and what are your rights if you think that computer repair has blown a circuit board?

Your basic rights come under The Supply of Goods and Services Act 1982 (as amended). This law means you can expect the service to be:

  • Carried out with reasonable care and skill
    This means that the trader has carried out the service for you to the best of their ability, hasn't rushed and made a bad job of things for example.
  • Carried out for a reasonable charge
    Unless you have agreed a fixed price in advance with the trader or they have a price list, the charges should not be extortionate!!!
  • Carried out within a reasonable time
    This means that you are not endlessly being fobbed off with excuses as to why your repair still isn't ready for collection or that you cannot have your service within an agreed time.

Sometimes goods are provided as part of a service, for example to repair a computer a trader may need to fit new parts. Therefore, under the same law any goods provided as part of the service have to be:

  • Of satisfactory quality (not faulty)
  • Fit for their purpose (they do what they are supposed to do)
  • As described (If a new computer part is described as being 10 megabytes, then it should be just that!)

If you are unhappy with the service for any of these reasons then you may be able to make a claim. Each situation is different, but you could request a refund, another service for free to put the problems right or the cost of another trader to put the matter right. If you are not sure, contact an adviser for further help.

Useful tips to avoid poor services

Every service is different. However, follow these simple rules to help avoid being frustrated:

  • Make sure you know how much the service you want is going to cost.
  • Make sure you also know how long the service you want is going to take.
  • Make sure you give the trader as much information about the service you want from them (e.g. If it's a haircut, take a magazine picture with you!)
  • If any extra parts are being ordered from elsewhere, you can still expect to know how long it may take.

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