What is consumer protection?
Consumer protection is all about protecting you, the consumer when buying home improvements. It starts when you start searching for an installer and ends when the guarantee has ended. In the middle of it, you want to ensure that you have peace of mind that should anything go wrong, you have someone to turn to. That is consumer protection!
Why is consumer protection important?
As a consumer, when you pay your hard-earned money to have work done in your home, it is important that it’s done to a high standard, allowing you to enjoy your home. If you have a bad experience, it could put you off getting more work done in your home—that is something that nobody wants!
As an installer, you should always do the best job possible, which could mean more word-of-mouth recommendations and, ultimately, more work for you! What you don’t want is consumers feeling scared to carry out any work in their homes because they have had a negative experience.
That is why consumer protection is important: it should give consumers peace of mind!
What are the key elements of consumer protection?
The main components of consumer protection are:
- Accreditation: The installer has been properly vetted by the consumer protection body, and you should also contact the body to check.
- Deposit protection: The installer is able to protect your deposit, and you should find out the details of the deposit protection and how it works.
- Code of practice: The installer adheres to a code of practice that concerns how they interact with you.
- Insurance-Backed Guarantee (IBG): The installer can provide you with an IBG, an insurance policy covering the installer’s original guarantee. An IBG provides you with additional peace of mind that in the unlikely event, the company ceases to trade, for whatever reason, you can still make a claim under the terms of the original guarantee.
- Dispute resolution: The installer is able to provide you with free access to a dispute resolution facility in the event of a disagreement between the parties.
- Ongoing monitoring: The consumer protection body regularly monitors the installer to ensure that they are still doing a good job.
What should I look for when choosing an installer?
- Begin your search for an installer: Installers must be properly vetted to ensure they have the right credentials to carry out your work.
- Paying a deposit to an installer: When paying a deposit, the installer needs to show you that they can protect your deposit in case something happens to them.
- Carrying out the work: The installer must be able to confirm that they have been independently assessed by a reputable organisation and that they have the skills and qualifications to carry out this work.
- Mediation and conciliation: In the unlikely event that you have an issue with the installer, you need to ensure that you have access to an independent service to handle your complaint and find a resolution.
- Guarantees and warranties: Find out from the installer what guarantees and warranties they provide and compare with other quotes. Do not always go with the longest guarantee period because you need to ensure that the installer will be around long enough to fulfil it.
- Guarantees are protected by insurance: You should also ensure that the installer’s guarantee is protected by an Insurance-Backed Guarantee (IBG). This means you have peace of mind that should the installer stop trading within the guarantee, and you can still make a claim on the IBG.
- Contact the accreditation bodies: You should contact the accreditation bodies that the installer is a member of to get their feedback and confirm that the installer is still a member of the body.
The NHIC wishes to thank WG2 | Consumer Voice members for contributing to this guide.
Please note that this guidance document produced by the NHIC was correct when created. However, information and regulations may have changed since its publication. Therefore, seeking the most up-to-date information and expert advice is always advisable before making any decisions related to improving your home.
