General Advice
If there is something wrong with a product you have bought from a trader (such as a washing machine) or a problem with a service that a trader has done for you (such as some building work at your home), you may have certain rights under contract law.
Before you do anything else, always bring the problem to the trader's attention informally and give them a chance to put the matter right. Remember that your contract (agreement) is with the trader, not with the manufacturer of the goods, so it is the trader you should speak to in the first instance. The only exception to this is when you have a guarantee with the product and you prefer to claim direct with the manufacturer under the terms of the guarantee.
Most problems are sorted out quickly by negotiation. Few traders like to have dissatisfied customers and will try to rectify the problem if at all possible.
However, if you can't reach an agreement, you might need to make a formal claim in writing. This puts the trader on notice that you are dissatisfied and might be taking the matter further, e.g. to the small claims court.
Read the draft letters found at the links below. They refer to certain essential legal rights that you have. These are the ones that we are most commonly asked about. If you believe that you can make a claim under those rights, you can write a similar letter to the trader, filling in the gaps with your own information. Don't worry about repeating facts in your letter that the trader probably already knows; it is important to make the whole picture clear so that if you do have to take it further, there can be no doubt that you have fully advised the trader about your problem. So include full details of connected problems, e.g. missed appointments, length of time for delivery, mess made by trader, exact nature of faults, date and time of previous failed attempts to get the trader to rectify the matter, etc.
We recommend that you send the letter by recorded delivery post and keep a copy for future reference. We also recommend giving the trader a reasonable deadline within which to respond to your request with his proposals for rectifying the matter. If you do not receive any response then contact your local Trading Standards service for further advice. (Bournemouth residents can contact us using the details on the right.) You may also want to contact us for further advice if the problem you have is not apparently covered by the legal points in these letters.
Advice Letters
Sale of Goods letter - use this if your problem relates to goods you have bought (e.g. a broken vacuum cleaner).
Supply of Goods and Services letter - use this if your problem relates to a service (e.g. poor standard of building work). It will also be appropriate for faulty goods which are supplied in the course of that service (e.g. the builder fitted a door which has a fault in it).
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