Credit Card Protection for home improvements work?

[SueEllen]

What you have to watch for if you invoke S75 is that card companies try and abdicate their responsibility. They'll say you have to contact the seller first (nope you dont because they're 'jointly and severally liable') so you have to stand your ground.

Some card companies are better than others.

I found AMEX would always be agreeable but as they charge retailers a higher fee it's not surprising.

[BolshieBastard]

What you have to watch for if you invoke S75 is that card companies try and abdicate their responsibility. They'll say you have to contact the seller first (nope you dont because they're 'jointly and severally liable') so you have to stand your ground.

Then they'll try and say you need an independent report saying the goods are faulty. Nope you dont because the Sale of Goods Act (think its just been replaced with a new Consumer Rights Act) means any fault in the first 6 months is deemed to have existed at time of sale.

[TykeMerc]

Yep, its got to be a minimum £100 rather than a marginal percentage per se.

Fair enough, that clarification's handy too

[BolshieBastard]

Useful info, I didn't know that even a marginal percentage paid on the credit card applied protection to the whole deal.

Yep, its got to be a minimum £100 rather than a marginal percentage per se.

[TykeMerc]

S75 makes the parties jointly and severally liable. So long as you pay £100 by credit card and the total payment doesnt exceed £25000 (I think) or whatever the upper limit is, they'll be covered.

Useful info, I didn't know that even a marginal percentage paid on the credit card applied protection to the whole deal.

[BolshieBastard]

S75 makes the parties jointly and severally liable. So long as you pay £100 by credit card and the total payment doesnt exceed £25000 (I think) or whatever the upper limit is, they'll be covered.

Debit card transactions are not covered.

Depends whether the builder etc takes credit card payment though.

[Platypus]

GFP is planning to buy a new garage door and have it fitted (cost £1200). Company wants 50% deposit and the remaining 50% paid 3 days before installation. Is it worth arguing with them about payment terms?

If she pays with a credit card, it appears that the door and the fitting service be covered under the Consumer Credit Act section 75

Your rights under Section 75

Under Section 75 of the Consumer Credit Act, the credit card company is jointly and severally liable for any breach of contract or misrepresentation by the company.
This means it is just as responsible as the retailer or trader for the goods or service supplied, allowing you to also put your claim to the credit card company.
You don't have to reach a stalemate with the retailer or trader before you can contact your credit card provider - you can make a claim to both the retailer and credit card provider simultaneously, although you can't recover your losses from both.
This right is particularly useful if the retailer or trader has gone bust, or it doesn't respond to your letters or phone calls.
Section 75 of the Consumer Credit Act also applies to foreign transactions as well as goods bought online, by telephone or mail order for delivery to the UK from overseas.

Has anyone needed to do this? Done this? Successfully? Unsuccessfully?

Seems to me that the work should be covered. If yes, probably not worth arguing with them about payment terms.

TIA.