If a refund isn’t paid in full then the Consumer Rights Act 2015 can help. Here’s how we helped challenge a firm when a heat pump installation went wrong.
On 4 June 2021, Which? member John paid a deposit of £7,336 for the supply and installation of a ground-source heat pump. However, John had concerns over a lack of communication from the
business.
He contacted the firm within the 14-day cooling off period to cancel, but he was convinced to stay. Further poor communication led to John deciding to cancel the contract on 26 July – seven weeks after signing up.
John assumed he would be repaid in full, but later he was told that costs totalling £1,085 had been deducted from the refund, which included the initial visit and an ‘assessor bonus’. After unsuccessfully challenging this cost deduction, John contacted Which? Legal for advice.
Contractual terms
The Consumer Rights Act 2015 states that contractual terms which require consumers to pay compensation when they cancel a contract must be proportionate to the service that has actually been provided.
As the initial visit and assessment were completed prior to the contract being signed, these costs should not have been charged as they had not arisen as a result of the contract.
After challenging the business, John received a cheque in the post for the full refund of the deposit.
Have a legal question of your own?
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The team of legal advisers will give you tailored information and advice on your rights and next steps, so you can handle your issue confidently.
Which? Legal can help on a range of topics, from faulty goods and car purchase issues to landlord and tenancy issues, plus much more.
To find out how the team can help you, call Which? Legal on 0117 405 5695 or visit Which? Legal.
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