Summer 2017 CANCELLATIoN RIGHTS home improvements have you got it right? When it comes to complaints to Citizens Advice, home improvements are second only to used cars so whats the best way to prevent a bad customer experience? Businesses that carry out dodgy work in peoples homes, and fail to comply with the law, risk being sued by their customers and prosecuted bytrading standards, with the possibility of hefty fines and up to two years imprisonment. its really important that businesses understand their responsibilities to tradefairly which can earn them a good reputation, as well as repeat custom. so what do you need to know? many home-improvement professionals are unaware of the information theyhave to give to a customer before they start work known as precontractual information. Contracts for goods or services costing more than 42, which are concluded away from a business for example, in a customers home are known as offpremises contracts, and have to include certain information to comply with the law: n you must give consumers the information listed in the legislation before they enter into a contract with you. it must be clear, comprehensible and legible, and must be given on paper or if the consumer agrees on another durable medium, such as a text message or an email. n if this information is not provided before the contract is formed, the consumer is not bound by the contract. if the information in items g, h or m in the list are not given to the consumer, they will not be required to pay these charges. Contracts for goods or services costing more than 42, which are concluded away from a business, are known as offpremises contracts, and have to include certain information to comply with thelaw n if you need to change any of this information before entering into a contract or at a later stage you must agree this with the customer, ideally in writing. failure to do so will mean the consumer is not bound by the change ofinformation. if a customer explicitly asks you to carry out a repair or maintenance contract that Find out more by watching CTSIs Home Improvements video will cost 170 or less and you are going to perform the service immediately the above information requirements do not apply. however, there are a number of conditions you will have to meet. Cancellation rights other than certain exemptions, all off-premises contracts have to give the consumer the right to cancel. failure to do so is a criminal offence. n a formal cancellation notice must be given to the consumer before they are bound by the contract n the cancellation notice must be on paper or if the consumer agrees on another durable medium, and must be legible n for a service contract, the consumer has 14 days after the day on which the contract was made to cancel, for any reason n however, if the consumer has expressly requested you to begin the service, you can charge for the work carried out up to the point ofcancellation n if the information on the right to cancel is not provided to the consumer, the cancellation period is extended by 14 days, after the day you do give it to them. the longest that the period can be extended to is 12 months. What happens after a customer cancels? a consumer can cancel within the cancellation period by informing you that they wish to do so. there is no requirement for how they do this, but it is advisable for customers to give some durable proof of their intention. the cancellation notice that you must provide for them can be used by the customer, but it is not obligatory. if a consumer exercises their right to cancel, you must reimburse all that they have paid to you, including any original delivery costs. further information: Credit: Carrie Morris Images: iStock.com / aetb / scanrail you cannot charge cancellation fees, and you must reimburse the consumer within 14days of them informing you of their decision to cancel. Home Improvements Your top 5 questions answered Ctsi home improvements video (above) for further information, please contact your local trading Standards Service