What the law says when you pay for a service
If you ask a trader to carry out work for you or to provide you with a service the law says that such work should be done:
- With Reasonable Care and SkillThis means it should be carried out to an acceptable standard.
- Within a Reasonable Length of TimeThis will depend on what is acceptable within that particular 'market place'.
- For a Reasonable CostThis means a trader must not charge an excessive amount for the job. If you agree a price with a trader beforehand then that is the price you should pay and you cannot later complain that it is too high. It is your responsibility to shop around for a price that suits you. If you do not agree a price beforehand and you think the trader is charging an excessive one it is up to you to try and establish what a fair price would be. This is not always as easy as it sounds and it is always better to agree a price beforehand.
- An Estimate is just thatAn estimate, it can vary up or down although it should be only by a slight amount. A Quotation is a definite price.
- If Goods are supplied as part of the service the law relating to the supply of goods applies. (What The Law Says When You Buy Goods).
- If a trader is negligent and causes damage you can claim compensation.
- If a trader sub-contracts work to another trader then your contract is with the initial trader and any problems should be dealt with by them.
This page was last updated on 15 July 2004
Email this page to a friend
Bookmark this page using:
Find out more about social bookmarking.
These sites allow you to store, tag and share links across the internet. You can share these links both with friends and people with similar interests. You can also access your links from any computer you happen to be using.
If you come across a page on our site that you find interesting and want to save for future reference or share it with other people, simply click on one of these links to add to your list.
All of these sites are free to use but do require you to register. Once you have registered you can begin bookmarking. Each of the sites works slightly differently so use the links below to find out which service best suits your needs.
Find out more about social bookmarking at Wikipedia.
