1. Our Responsibility
1.1. If during the course of our work any further works becomes necessary due to matters unforeseen during our initial assessment, which will cause an increase in cost; we will let you know what these extra costs will be, and will only carry out additional works once we have your acceptance. If the costs increase significantly, you will have the right to cancel the contract. You will however be charged for any work already carried out, and parts or materials used up until the time you cancel.
1.2. We will carry out the work in accordance with our estimate with reasonable care and skill using sound materials.
1.3. We will do everything within our power to keep to the timeslot agreed when the booking was made, normally within a 2-3 hour time period (e.g. 9-11am, 1-4pm), however we cannot always predict any unforeseen circumstances, we will always try to keep you informed of the situation.
1.4. We will make every effort to complete the work by any time agreed with you. You must appreciate, however, that sometimes delays may occur for reason beyond our control and we cannot be held responsible for those delays. If such delays occur we will complete the work as soon as possible.
1.5. In addition to your statutory rights we will, if we can, pass on to you the benefits of any guarantees provided by a manufacturer or supplier of any parts or materials used in the course of our work. We will also guarantee our workmanship and parts that we have supplied for a period of 60 days from the date of your invoice.
The guarantee will become null and void if the work completed or parts supplied are:
(a) Subject to misuse or negligence.
(b) Repaired, modified or tampered with by anyone other than A Touch of Gas. We will accept no liability for, or guarantee suitability of materials supplied by the customer and will accept no liability for any consequential damage or fault.
1.6. Cuts or holes made to flooring and walls to allow for access will, where possible be made good. Floorboards removed will be refitted where possible.
1.7. We will take away whenever possible all materials removed during the course of our work and all rubble and rubbish unless you wish us to leave any of it.
2. Your Responsibility
2.1. You will ensure that all furniture, furnishings, fixture and fittings are removed so that we can carry out our work, unless we have agreed to do this as part of the work.
2.2. You will cover and protect all furniture, furnishings, fixtures and fittings, which are not removed.
2.3. You will obtain all permissions and consents (for example from your landlord or the local authority) that are required before the work can be carried out.
2.4. You will arrange for access to the property on the agreed date and time to carry out the work required. If we are unable to gain access, or the appointment is cancelled with less than 24 hours’ notice, a £40 no access charge will be invoiced.
3. Things You Should Know
3.1. Where we agree to carry out work to part of a system, we assume that the rest of the system is in good condition. We cannot be held responsible for any damage caused or extra work required if this is not so.
3.2. With some types of work, it may be the case that some damage will be caused to decorative finishes such as paintwork and wallpaper. We will take all reasonable steps to avoid this, but cannot be held responsible for any damage, which occurs even though we have taken those steps.
3.3. Our work will not include the fixing of specialist flooring or the putting back of furniture, furnishings, fixtures or fittings.
3.4. Some customers do not accept the advice that we give and ask us to carry out work, which in our view is not the best way of proceeding. If you ask us to proceed in such a way and we agree to do so, our liability (if any), arising from such work shall take into account the reservations expressed by us, the advice that we gave, the price paid by you for the work that we actually carried out and the price that you would have paid for the work that we would have carried out, had our advice been accepted.
3.5. If you cancel any work after accepting our quotation/estimate; you may be invoiced for the cost of any materials already ordered on your behalf.
4. Payment
4.1. Payment for the work that we have carried out will be invoiced on job completion. Full payment will be due as per the terms invoiced. Payments can be made in cash, credit/debit card or by electronic bank transfer. Cheques and American Express are no longer accepted.
4.2. In some cases, a 50% deposit may be charged before material is ordered and work commences. If a deposit is required, you will be made aware of this before the job is accepted.
4.3. If payment is not received within the terms set out in the invoice, we will contact you to remind you the payment is overdue. We expect to be paid within 48 hours of us contacting you. If payment is not received within 48 hours of the reminder date, an additional late payment interest charge will be applied. An invoice will be raised for the outstanding amount, plus an additional 10%. Interest will continue to be added every seventh day until payment is made in full. In all cases, any materials, fixtures and fittings used will remain the property of A Touch of Gas until the account is settled in full. Failure to pay an outstanding account can result in legal action and the possible removal of installed items.
4.4. Labour charges are calculated in units of 60 minutes. We make a minimum charge of one hour. All charges are subject to VAT at the appropriate rate.
4.5. Parts and materials supplied by us will be charged at the trade price plus 20% handling charge. All charges are subject to VAT at the appropriate rate.
4.6. Payment terms to commercial customers are strictly 30 days. Failure to settle outstanding accounts could lead to the account being placed on hold. We will not accept a third party failing to pay as a reason for non-payment of outstanding accounts. All contractors are responsible for dealing with any issues their clients might have and they will remain liable for the amount owed to us, regardless of whether their client pays them.
4.7. Any estimate given by us to you before we start work, will be given in good faith in the light of our assessment of the work to be carried out and taking into account all of the information then available to us. Unless a fixed price (Quotation) is agreed, our actual charges will be calculated upon the time spent, at the agreed labour rates and the charges for materials agreed between us at the time the work was agreed. The initial diagnostic call-out will be chargeable at £50 inc VAT. This is payable to diagnose the fault and will be payable regardless of whether the customer chooses to continue with the repair.
4.8. All quotations/estimates that we supply shall remain valid for a period of 30 days.
4.9 Parking charges will be added to the invoice for customers living within a controlled parking/permit area.
5. Customer Care
5.1. We try hard to always get it right but we are human and sometimes mistakes do occur. If you think that something has gone wrong, please contact us immediately by telephone or e-mail. If the complaint arises out of something for which we are liable, we will put matters right as soon as reasonably possible at no cost to you. If we undertake work in response to a complaint for which we are not liable, then we will make a charge for this work.
5.2. There are some things you can do to help ensure that everything goes smoothly: –
• Let us have as much information as possible about the work you want carried out. If we are being asked to repair an installation that has broken down, please let us have as much information as possible about the circumstances of the breakdown.
• Some faults can be found easily, others may be difficult to locate or only occur intermittently. In some cases, we may have to carry out a considerable amount of preliminary work before a fault is found.
• When faced with a choice between an expensive repair/replacement and a cheaper repair, please bear in mind that the expensive solution may be better value for money in the long run.
• Take an interest in the work when it is carried out, if you are not happy with something; please say so immediately so that it can be sorted out before the work continues.
• Please check the work when it is finished and satisfy yourself that it accords with your instructions.
• Take note of any advice that is given to you and retain any guarantees, or other documents that may have handed to you.
