In the guide
This guidance is for England, Scotlandand Wales
When you take your vehicle to a garage for a routine service or for faults to be repaired you are making a legally binding contract.
This guide gives information on the legal rights and remedies you have and includes practical examples to explainwhat you cando if things go wrong.
The law
A vehicle is an expensive purchase so it makes good sense to maintain it and hopefully prolong its life by having it regularly serviced. Most traders are reputable and honest, but there are some traders that will carry out poor quality repairs and servicing at a high price, or charge you for work that has not been carried out. Knowing your legal rights will help you deal with any problems that may arise.
An important element of the contract is that a trader must give you certainpre-contract information as set out in the Consumer Contracts (Information, Cancellation and Additional Charges) Regulations 2013. See the guide 'Buying from business premises: on-premises contracts explained' for more information on these Regulations.
When you take your vehicle to a garage for a routine service or for faults to be repaired you are making a legally binding contract, which is covered by the Consumer Rights Act 2015. This law gives you rights and remedies against the trader if the service you receive is below the standard you are entitled to expect and if any parts fitted as part of the service or repair fail to meet your expectations, possibly because they are faulty.
Service (covers vehicle repairs and routine servicing) - key rights:
Service (covers vehicle repairs and routine servicing) - key remedies:
See 'Supply of services: your consumer rights' for more information.
Goods, suchas parts, oil or accessories, supplied during the repair or service - key rights:
Goods, such as parts, oil or accessories, supplied during the repair or service - key remedies:
The 'Sale and supply of goods: your consumer rights' guide gives more information.
If you pay for the vehicle repair or service by credit card and if the work costs more than 100 but less than 30,000, you are protected by the Consumer Credit Act 1974. Section 75 of the Act makes the card provider as responsible as the trader for a breach of contract or a misrepresentation. You are entitled to take action against the trader, the card provider or both. This does not apply to charge cards or debit cards.
If you use a debit card to pay for the vehicle repair or service or if you use a credit card and the price of the work is less that 100 (your rights under the Consumer Credit Act 1974 would not apply) you may be able to take advantage of the chargeback scheme. Chargeback is the term used by card providers for reclaiming a card payment from the trader's bank. If you can provide evidence of a breach of contract - for example, if the repair is substandard or the trader has ceased trading - you can ask your card provider to attempt to recover the payment. Check with your card provider as to how the scheme rules apply to your card and what the time limit is for making a claim.
The Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations 2008 prohibit commercial practices that are unfair to consumers. If a trader misleads you (for example, charging you for work it has not done, fitting inferior parts when you only agreed to have a particular manufacturer's parts, or fitting second-hand parts and claiming they are new) or engages in aggressive commercial practices, theymay be in breach of the Regulations. You should report unfair practices to the Citizens Advice consumer service for referral to trading standards.
If you enter a contract because a trader misled you or because the trader used an aggressive commercial practice, the Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations 2008 give you rights to redress: the right to unwind the contract, the right to a discount and the right to damages. The'Misleading and aggressive practices: rights to redress'guide gives more information.
Under the Consumer Rights (Payment Surcharges) Regulations 2012, which were amended by the Payment Services Regulations 2017, traders are banned from imposing surcharges on consumers for using the following payment methods:
Traders can impose a surcharge for other methods of payment, but the amount must not be excessive; it must reflect the actual cost to the trader of processing the payment. The Regulations apply to most sales and service contracts. The Regulations give you rights of redress. Any requirement to pay a banned surcharge or the part of a surcharge that is excessive, is unenforceable by the trader. This means you do not have to pay. If you have already paid the surcharge or the excess, you are entitled to a refund. If you have a complaint about surcharges, report it to the Citizens Advice consumer service.
How do I check if a trader is reputable?
The quality of service provided, the range of parts on offer and the price charged can vary from trader to trader so it is wise to shop around for the best deal. Take note of the following points before going ahead:
If the trader is not willing to comply with your requests, or you are unhappy with the suggested repairs or their cost, be prepared to take your vehicle elsewhere.
What if things go wrong?
THE VEHICLE IS NOT REPAIRED PROPERLY
If a fault is not correctly diagnosed or is not properly repaired (in other words, the work has not been carried out with reasonable care and skill) you are entitled to ask the trader to carry it out again so that it is completed as the contract states it should be. This repeat performance should be carried out within a reasonable time, without significant inconvenience and at no cost to you. If the fault is still apparent you may be entitled to a price reduction (the difference between the contract price and the value of the work performed), which may be as much as a full refund if you have had no benefit from the work at all.
The 'Supply of services: what to do if things go wrong' guide sets out the practical steps you can take when complaining to the trader.
A PART FITTED BY A TRADER IS FAULTY
If a trader supplies and fits a part that is faulty, you have 30 days from the day after the part was supplied to reject it for a full refund. As an alternative to rejecting the part for a refund, you have the option to ask for (or agree to) a repair or replacement part. From this time to the point that the part is repaired or replaced is called the 'waiting period'. If the repairs do not work or the replacement part is faulty you have sevendays after the end of the waiting periodor the remainder of your 30 days (extended by the waiting period) if it is later,to reject the part for a refund.
After the 30 day time limit has passed, you can ask the trader to repair or replace the part at theirexpense. This must be carried out within a reasonable time and without causing you significant inconvenience. You do not have to give the trader more than one chance to repair or replace the part if it is faulty. If the repair or replacement is unsuccessful then you are entitled to ask for either a price reduction or claim your final right to reject the part. There is nothing to prevent you giving the trader more chances to repair or replace the part if you decide to do so.
Take note that if you want to reject the faulty part within 30 days for a full refund, you may have to prove that it was faulty when it was fitted, unless the fault is obvious. However, if within six months from when a part was supplied you discover a problem and you are prepared to accept a repair or replacement, in most cases you do not have to prove fault. It is for the trader to prove otherwise. This is called the 'reversed burden of proof'. After six months, the burden of proof reverts back to you.
The 'Sale and supply of goods: what to do if things go wrong' guide sets out the practical steps you can take when complaining to the trader.
THE VEHICLE IS NOT READY BY THE AGREED DATE
If you and thetrader did not fix a time for repairs to be completed, then they must be completed 'within a reasonable time'. What is reasonable depends on the facts of the contract. Discuss your concerns with the trader and if necessary follow up with an email or letter making time of the essence (give a deadline) for the repairs to be completed. If the vehicle is still not ready, you are entitled end the contract, but you may have to pay for any work that has been carried out at that point. The 'Writing an effective complaint' guide gives more information and has template letters you can use.
REPAIRS HAVE BEEN CARRIED OUT WITHOUT MY PERMISSION
This can be problematic, especially with verbal contracts, as it can be very difficult to prove that the trader carried out the work without your authority. If the trader carried out unauthorised work, you could ask themto put the vehicle back to its original condition. This course of action can create problems, especially if it would leave your vehicle in a worse condition or even render it unroadworthy. The trader may also refuse to undo the work or release the car without payment. If improvements have been made, the trader is entitled to exercise a lien over the vehicle (this is a legal right to hold disputed goods until payment is made). In these circumstances the only way you can recover possession of your vehicle is to 'pay under protest' and to pursue your claim for reimbursement. It is important that you seek advice from the Citizens Adviceconsumer servicebefore paying under protest.
Ask the trader toarrange alternative dispute resolution. Theymay be a member of a trade association that offers an alternative dispute resolution service, which can help sort out your complaint.
As a last resort, you can take legal action against the trader in court. See 'Thinking of suing in court?' for more information.
THE TRADER DOES NOT ACCEPT RESPONSIBILITY FOR SUBSTANDARD REPAIRS
Complain to the trader in writing. The'Writing an effective complaint'guide includes template letters. You may need to obtain a written report from an independent engineer to provide technical evidence to back up your claim.
If the trader does not respond to your complaint, you may need to have the faults fixed by another trader. You will have to pay for the repair and then claim the repair costs back. You may wish to consider alternative dispute resolution or take legal action in court. The court may not accept a report you have obtained prior to taking legal action and may direct you and the trader to appoint a single expert. If you and the trader cannot agree on the choice of expert or the arrangements for paying the expert's fee, then you or the trader must apply to the court for further directions. The court would then make a decision about the expert.
THE COST OF THE REPAIR IS HIGHER THAN EXPECTED
You are only obliged to pay a 'reasonable price' for the service that a trader provides unless the price of the service (or the way in which the price is worked out) is fixed as part of the contract. So if you have not agreed a price up front, what you are asked to pay must be reasonable. What is a reasonable price? This depends on the facts of each contract but as a guide it may be the average price charged by other traders providing the same service in that area.
If you are in dispute and refuse to pay the price the trader is charging, the trader is entitled to exercise a lien over the vehicle. In these circumstances the only way you can recover possession is to 'pay under protest' and to make a claim for your costs to be reimbursed. If you decide to pay under protest, make this clear in writing at the time of payment. It is important that you seek advice from the Citizens Advice consumer service before paying under protest.
THE VEHICLE WAS DAMAGED BY THE TRADER
The trader has a general duty of care to look after your vehicle while it is in their possession. If the vehicle is damaged, possibly due to the negligence of the staff, the trader may be responsible for carrying out the repairs at no cost to youor compensating you for the cost of having the repairs done elsewhere.
Key legislation
Last reviewed / updated: September 2020
Please note
This information is intended for guidance; only the courts can give an authoritative interpretation of the law.
The guide's 'Key legislation' links may only show the original version of the legislation, although some amending legislation is linked to separately where it is directly related to the content of a guide. Information on amendments to legislation can be found on each link's 'More Resources' tab.
For further information in England and Wales contact the Citizens Advice consumer service on 0808 2231133. In Scotland contact Advice Direct Scotland on 0808 164 6000. Both provide free, confidential and impartial advice on consumer issues.
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