The Consumer Rights Act

Consumer rights when buying services

Guide

Customers have a number of rights under the Consumer Rights Act 2015 if they aren't satisfied with a service you have provided.

If the trader breaches the contract by failing to meet the required standards for the supply of services the consumer can expect the trader to put things right.

In these circumstances, the law says that the consumer is entitled to repeat performance of the service or to a price reduction.

Repeat performance

This remedy is available when the trader fails to exercise reasonable care and skill or when they breach a requirement arising from the information they have given about the service. The consumer can request the trader to repeat the service to complete it properly. This work must be done at no cost to the consumer, within a reasonable time and without causing significant inconvenience to the consumer.

The consumer cannot ask for repeat performance when it would be impossible to finish providing the service to the required standard

Price reduction

The consumer can claim a price reduction when repeat performance is impossible or cannot be done within a reasonable time and without causing significant inconvenience. A price reduction can also be claimed when the service is not done within a reasonable time or when the trader breaches a requirement arising from the information they have given about something other than the service itself.

The amount of the price reduction will depend on how serious the breaches were, and it can be anything up to 100% of the price. If the consumer has already paid in full or in part for the service, they may be entitled to some money back.