Letter to complain about a delay to a service
This advice applies to England. See advice for See advice for Northern Ireland, See advice for Scotland, See advice for Wales
Further help
This letter applies to a service that you gave the go-ahead for on or after 1 October 2015.
If you bought the goods before 1 October 2015, contact the Consumer Service for advice on what to include in your letter.
Use this letter template to complain to a trader about delays in starting or finishing a service.
You might want to complain because the trader:
hasn’t done the work in a reasonable time, eg if a decorator started work painting a room a week ago, but disappeared after a day and hasn’t been back to finish the job
didn’t meet an agreed deadline, eg you ordered a birthday cake and it hasn’t been delivered in time for the party
It should help the trader understand your point of view and their legal obligation to sort out the problem.
You can send the letter by post or copy the text into an email. If you’d prefer to talk to the trader on the phone or in person you could read it out to them.
Before you use this template, make sure you read our advice on:
Sam Hoolin
8 Park Avenue
Arlton
AL1 4CA
sam123@mail.com
01632 960001
Giltham Traders
24 Station Road
Giltham
GT16 3LP
22 December 2024
To whom it may concern
Consumer Rights Act 2015
On 2 October 2022, you agreed to do the following work: Put up a new fence in my back garden at a cost of £700.
We agreed this work would be started by 2 January 2023.
We agreed this work would be completed by 4 January 2023.
However, I have had the following problems:
You only came on one day to look at the garden and said you'd brought the wrong tools. You haven't been back since.
According to the law named above, I am entitled to have this work done by the date we agreed.
I would like you to put the fence up, as agreed.
I would like you to start this work in the next 14 days.
If you fail to start the work in this time, I will have no option but to consider taking the matter further.
Yours faithfully,
Sam Hoolin
Further help
Contact the Citizens Advice consumer service if you need more help - a trained adviser can give you advice over the phone or by online chat.
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