Consumer Rights Act — Services
Written in plain language for general understanding. This is educational content, not legal advice. Based on UK Acts of Parliament, statutory instruments, and official guidance.
UK National Law
What is this right?
When you pay a trader to provide a service (plumbing, decorating, car repair, haircut, etc.), the law says:
- The service must be carried out with reasonable care and skill
- If no price was agreed, the price must be reasonable
- If no time was agreed, the service must be done within a reasonable time
If the service falls short, you're entitled to:
- Repeat performance — the trader must redo the service (or the unsatisfactory part) at no extra cost
- Price reduction — if repeat performance is impossible or can't be done within a reasonable time, you can claim a reduction, up to a full refund
When does it apply?
- You paid a business for a service — this covers tradespeople, professionals, repair services, personal care, and more.
- This does not cover employment contracts or free services.
- If the trader also supplied goods as part of the service (e.g., a plumber who supplied and fitted a boiler), both the goods and service rights apply.
- Any pre-contract information the trader gave you (verbal or written) is treated as a term of the contract — if they said the job would be done by Friday, that's binding.
What should you do?
- Document the problem — take photos, keep correspondence, note dates and what was agreed.
- Give the trader a chance to put it right — request repeat performance in writing and set a reasonable deadline.
- If they refuse or can't fix it, request a price reduction or full refund.
- For disputes, contact Citizens Advice or consider small claims court (claims up to £10,000 in England/Wales).
- If the trader belongs to a trade association (e.g., Gas Safe Register, NICEIC, TrustMark), you can also complain through them.
What should you NOT do?
- Don't pay in full upfront if you can avoid it — stage payments give you leverage if something goes wrong.
- Don't hire someone else to fix the problem before giving the original trader a chance to put it right — this can weaken your claim.
- Don't rely on verbal agreements — get quotes, scope of work, and timelines in writing.
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