On two occasions in the past couple of weeks we have received phone calls from builders who have been contacted by their local Trading Standards department. The scenario has been the same in both cases, which is that they have carried out work for a householder who has then decided that they are not happy with some point or other. The householder has contacted Trading Standards who have become involved. In one case the builder has been invited in for a taped interview.
The problem is that they have both failed to comply with their obligations under the Consumer Contracts (Information, Cancellation and Additional Charges) Regulations 2013, in that they failed to provide to their customer certain information which includes:
- A full written description of the works;
- Details of the identity and address of the trader;
- Details of cancellation rights.
- A cancellation form
Essentially, if the contract is concluded at the premises of the customer, which in most cases will be simply their home, these Regulations apply. It can be a criminal offence not to give the information required under the Regulations to the customer. These builders in question did not even know that these regulations existed.
It should be noted that these Regulations apply only to consumer contracts, it does not apply to sub contracts with other construction companies.
If you need any further information, please do not hesitate to contact us on 01792 468684 or email enquiries@pgmsolicitors.co.uk.
