Terms and conditions

About these terms

These terms apply when we quote for or carry out work for you. "We", "us" and "our" mean Alex, a sole trader trading as Alex Flooring Specialist. Our postal address is on your written quote, and we'll send it to you if you ask. "You" means the customer named on the quote.

We fit the flooring described on your written quote: wood floors including herringbone, luxury vinyl tile (LVT), laminate and garage flooring. We also prepare subfloors, for example by screeding or ply boarding. We can supply the flooring too; your quote says what we're supplying.

We work across all of London and up to 50 miles around Twickenham, and further for larger jobs, for homes and businesses. We're not registered for VAT.

Some parts of these terms apply only if you're a consumer: someone having work done mainly for their own home or personal use, not for a business. If you're a business customer, see Business customers.

How we make a contract with you

Our contract with you starts when you accept our written quote. Please accept it in writing, for example by email, text or WhatsApp, so we both have a record. The contract is made up of the written quote and these terms. If the quote says something different from these terms, the quote applies.

We send you these terms, and the information about your right to cancel, with the quote. Nothing in these terms affects your legal rights.

Quotes and booking

Estimates and quotes are free. A price we give you over the phone or from photos is only a rough guide. Your written quote, usually given after we measure up, sets out the work, the materials and the price.

A quote is valid for 30 days unless it says otherwise. After that, material prices may have changed, so we may need to quote again.

Once you've accepted a quote, we won't change the price unless you agree, or the work changes (see Changes and extra work). If something outside our control, such as a supplier's price rise, means we need to change the price before we start, we'll tell you. You can then agree the new price or cancel and get a full refund of anything you've paid. The one exception is materials we've already ordered that can't be returned because of wrong measurements or details you gave us; you'd pay for those.

Booking and timing

We'll agree a start date with you and tell you how long we expect the job to take. Some floors need time to settle before fitting, and some materials need ordering in, so the timing depends on the job. We'll keep you updated, and tell you as soon as we can if anything is likely to cause a delay.

Prices and payment

The price is the one in your written quote. We're not registered for VAT, so we don't add VAT. The quote says what's included, for example materials, preparation, delivery, removing your old floor and taking away waste.

• Deposit: we only ask for a deposit if your written quote says so. Any deposit is part of the price, not an extra charge.
• When to pay: unless your written quote says otherwise, you pay the balance when the work is finished, after we've walked round it with you. For bigger jobs, the quote may set out stage payments.
• How to pay: by card, by Checkatrade Pay, or by another method your written quote names. We don't charge a fee for paying by card.
• If you're unhappy with part of the work: tell us straight away. You can hold back a fair amount for that part while we put it right, but please pay the rest when it's due.

Watch out for payment scams. If you get a message that seems to be from us asking you to pay in a different way, or to a different account, don't pay. Call Alex on 07854 803082 first.

Late payment

If a payment is late, we'll send you a reminder. If it's still unpaid 14 days after it was due, we may charge interest on the overdue amount at 4% a year above the Bank of England base rate, from the due date until you pay. We won't charge interest on an amount you dispute in good faith while we try to sort it out. If an agreed stage payment is unpaid, we may pause work after telling you in writing.

Changes and extra work

If you'd like to change the work, or we find that extra work is needed (for example, because of a problem under your old floor), we'll explain why, tell you the cost and any change to the timing, and wait for you to agree in writing before we do it. We won't charge for extra work you haven't agreed to.

The only exception is anything we must do straight away to make the area safe. We'll keep that to the minimum and tell you about it at once.

If you don't want the extra work, we'll explain the options, for example carrying on with a note of the risk, if that's safe and won't affect the quality of the floor, or stopping that part of the job.

Your 14-day right to cancel

If you're a consumer, you can cancel within 14 days without giving any reason. We don't have a shop or showroom, so this applies however you accept our quote: at your home, or later by phone, email, text or WhatsApp.

The 14 days start the day after the contract is made. If we supply materials as part of the job, the 14 days end 14 days after the day the materials (or the last delivery of them) reach you, if that's later.

How to cancel

Tell us clearly that you want to cancel, before the 14 days run out. You can email us at alexfloorings@gmail.com, text or WhatsApp Alex on 07854 803082, or write to us at the postal address on your written quote. If you call, please confirm in writing too, so we both have a record. You can use the model cancellation form, but you don't have to. It's enough to send your message before the 14 days end.

If you want us to start within the 14 days

We won't start work in the 14 days unless you ask us to in writing. If you do ask, and then cancel:

• you pay for the work we've done up to when you told us you were cancelling, in proportion to the full job;
• if the contract is only for work, with no materials from us, you lose the right to cancel once the work is fully finished, as long as you acknowledged this when you asked us to start early.

Materials

• If you cancel, we'll collect any materials we supplied that haven't been fitted, at our cost. Please keep them safe and dry until then.
• Some materials can't be returned once they're used, such as levelling compound, screed and adhesive once applied. You can't cancel for these.
• Materials made to your own specification or clearly personalised for you can't be returned either. Your written quote will say if any of yours are. Standard flooring we order in doesn't count.
• Where the law allows, we may reduce your refund to reflect any loss in value of materials that have been fitted.

Your refund

We'll refund what you've paid, less any amount you owe as set out above, within 14 days of the day you told us you were cancelling. We'll refund you the same way you paid, unless you agree otherwise, and we won't charge a fee for the refund.

Cancellation form

If you want to cancel within the 14 days, you can copy, print or fill in this form and send it to us. You don't have to use it.

Rescheduling or cancelling later

If you need to move your booking, please give us as much notice as you can, and at least 48 hours if possible. Moving the date costs nothing unless it leaves us with an unavoidable cost, such as a delivery we can't rearrange; we'll tell you first.

If you cancel after the 14-day period has ended, or if you didn't have a right to cancel, we'll refund what you've paid, less our actual, reasonable losses. These are limited to:

• materials we ordered for you that the supplier won't take back, or any restocking fee they charge us;
• the work we've already done, at a fair price.

We don't charge cancellation fees or penalties. Materials you've paid for are yours, and we'll hand them over. If our losses are more than you've paid, we'll show you how we worked them out, and you pay the difference.

If we need to cancel or rearrange

Sometimes we may need to move your booking, for example because of illness, an earlier job overrunning, or materials arriving late. We'll tell you as soon as we can and offer a new date. If the new date doesn't suit you, you can cancel and we'll refund what you've paid for work not done and materials you don't keep.

We may cancel the contract, after telling you in writing, if:

• you don't make a payment that's due, after a reminder;
• we can't get access to do the work on the agreed dates, after trying to rearrange;
• the site isn't safe to work in and you can't make it safe; or
• we, or anyone working with us, are threatened or abused.

If we do, we'll refund anything you've paid for work not done. We only deduct our actual, reasonable losses where the reason is something you were responsible for.

Getting the room ready

Unless we've agreed otherwise, please:

• let us in at the agreed times;
• clear the rooms of furniture and belongings before we arrive, or ask us in advance if you'd like help, which we may charge for;
• let us use your electricity and water at no charge;
• tell us about parking. Your written quote will say whether parking costs are included. If you can get us a visitor permit, please do;
• keep children and pets away from the work area while we're working;
• tell us before we start about underfloor heating, and any pipes, cables, leaks or water damage you know of under the floor.

We'll protect your home with dust sheets where needed and keep dust and disruption to a minimum, but fitting floors can be dusty and noisy.

A new floor may be higher or lower than the old one. Doors may need trimming and thresholds may need changing. We'll tell you about this beforehand, and the quote will say whether it's included.

Materials

Materials we supply

We supply the materials set out in your written quote. The manufacturer's warranty on them passes to you. Materials belong to you once you've paid for them in full. Once they've been delivered to your property, please keep them safe and dry. We're still responsible for any damage we cause to them.

Materials you supply

If you supply materials, please make sure they're the right type and amount, and that they're delivered in time. We're not responsible for faults in materials you supply, unless we should reasonably have spotted the fault before fitting them. If they're wrong, damaged or not enough, we'll tell you, and agree any extra cost with you before we go ahead.

Settling and fitting instructions

Some floors, especially wood, need to settle in the room for a time before they're fitted. We follow the manufacturer's fitting instructions. If you ask us to fit a floor in a way that goes against them, we'll explain the risks in writing first, including any effect on the manufacturer's warranty. If you still want it, we're not responsible for problems caused by that choice, but we still work with reasonable care and skill.

Existing floors and hidden problems

Before we lift your old floor, we can't always see what's underneath. We may find hidden problems, such as rot, water damage, a weak or uneven subfloor, or pipes and cables in the way. If we do, we'll stop, explain what we've found and what it means, and agree any extra work and cost with you before carrying on (see Changes and extra work).

Some older floor tiles and adhesives contain asbestos. If we find something that might, we'll stop work in that area. It must be tested and, if needed, dealt with by a licensed specialist before we carry on.

Old floors that are glued or nailed down can take longer to lift than expected and can damage the surface underneath. We'll take reasonable care. We're not responsible for problems that were already there before we started, unless we were careless.

Waste and leftover materials

Your written quote will say whether we'll take away your old floor, packaging and other waste. Offcuts and spare materials that you've paid for are yours, and we'll leave them with you if you want them. They can be handy for repairs. We'll leave the work area clean and tidy.

When the job is finished

When we finish, we'll walk round the work with you and give you advice on caring for your new floor.

• Wood is a natural material. It expands and shrinks slightly with the seasons, so small gaps or slight movement can be normal.
• Keep off newly levelled or glued areas, and don't move heavy furniture back, until the time we tell you.
• Please tell us about any problem as soon as you notice it. Small problems are easier to fix early.

Your legal rights

If you're a consumer, the Consumer Rights Act 2015 gives you rights that we can't take away. This is a summary.

The work we do

• We must carry out the work with reasonable care and skill.
• What we tell you about the work, if you rely on it, is binding on us.
• If the work isn't done with reasonable care and skill, you can ask us to put it right at no cost to you. If we can't, or we don't do so within a reasonable time and without significant inconvenience to you, you can ask for some or all of your money back.

The materials we supply

• Materials must be of satisfactory quality, fit for purpose and as described, and they must be fitted correctly.
• If they're faulty, you can reject them for a full refund within 30 days. For materials we fit, the 30 days start when we finish fitting them.
• At any time, you can ask for a repair or replacement. If that fails, you can ask for a price reduction or refund.
• If a fault appears within six months, it's assumed to have been there from the start unless we can show otherwise.

You usually have up to six years to bring a claim. For more about your rights, see Citizens Advice (opens in a new tab).

Guarantees and warranties

Any guarantee or warranty is on top of your legal rights, and never limits them.

• Our workmanship: unless your quote says otherwise, we'll put right free of charge any fault in our fitting that appears within 12 months of finishing, whether or not we were careless. Contact Alex with photos to claim. Not covered: wear and tear, misuse, later damage, natural wood movement. Your legal rights last longer, usually up to six years.
• Checkatrade Guarantee: if you found or paid us through Checkatrade, Checkatrade may pay up to £1,000 towards putting poor work right. It's Checkatrade's guarantee, not ours; its terms, including a time limit, decide each claim. Read the Checkatrade Guarantee terms (opens in a new tab).
• Manufacturers' warranties: many flooring makers give their own warranty on their products, and some require the floor to be fitted to their instructions or by an accredited fitter. We're Quick-Step accredited. Please keep your invoice and any warranty documents.

Our responsibility for loss or damage

If we break these terms or fail to use reasonable care and skill, we're responsible for loss or damage you suffer that was a foreseeable result. Loss or damage is foreseeable if it was obvious it would happen, or if we both knew it might happen when the contract was made.

If we damage your property while working, we'll put it right or pay for it to be put right.

We don't exclude or limit our responsibility where it would be unlawful to do so. That includes death or personal injury caused by our negligence, fraud, and your legal rights as a consumer.

We're not responsible for:

• faults in materials you supplied, unless we should reasonably have spotted them;
• damage caused by misuse, accidents or normal wear and tear;
• problems caused by work done by others after we finish;
• problems that were already there before we started, unless we were careless (see Existing floors and hidden problems).

If you're a consumer, we only supply our services for domestic and private use. We're not responsible for any loss of profit, loss of business or business interruption.

We're insured for the work we do. Ask and we'll show you the certificate.

Business customers

If you're having work done for a business, the parts of these terms that apply only to consumers don't apply to you, including the 14-day right to cancel. Instead:

• we'll carry out the work with reasonable care and skill, and the materials we supply will be of satisfactory quality and fit for purpose, as the law requires for business contracts;
• if you pay late, we may claim interest and compensation under the Late Payment of Commercial Debts (Interest) Act 1998;
• we're not responsible for loss of profit, loss of business, loss of revenue, or any indirect or consequential loss;
• our total responsibility to you under or in connection with the contract is limited to the price of the job, except for damage to your property caused by our negligence;
• nothing limits our responsibility for death or personal injury caused by our negligence, or for fraud;
• the courts of England and Wales alone can decide any dispute.

Events outside our control

We're not responsible for delays caused by events outside our control, such as extreme weather, supplier failures or serious illness. If one happens, we'll tell you as soon as we can and do what we can to keep the delay short. If the delay is likely to last more than 4 weeks, you can cancel and we'll refund what you've paid for work not done and materials you don't keep.

Photos and videos of your floor

We may take photos or short videos before, during and after the work as a record of the job, for example of the subfloor before it's covered. Unless you agree, we don't publish them.

We'll only put photos or short videos of your floor, finished or being fitted, on our website or social media if you agree. Alex may appear in them, but no one else will, and they won't show anything that identifies your home or where you live. You can change your mind at any time, and we'll take them off our website and our own social media within 14 days. Our privacy policy explains more.

Complaints

If you're not happy with any part of our work or service, please tell Alex as soon as possible, ideally in writing by email, text or WhatsApp. Most problems can be sorted out quickly.

We'll acknowledge your complaint within 3 working days and give you a full reply within 14 days of acknowledging it. If we need to visit to look at the problem, we'll arrange that as soon as we can.

If you're still not happy

• If your job came through Checkatrade, or you paid through Checkatrade Pay, you can ask Checkatrade to help.
• You can get free, independent advice from the Citizens Advice consumer service (opens in a new tab) on 0808 223 1133 (or 0808 223 1144 for Welsh).
• Alternative dispute resolution (ADR) is a way to settle a dispute without going to court. When we give our final reply to your complaint, we'll tell you in writing whether an ADR scheme is available and, if so, its name and website and whether we're willing to use it.
• You can also make a claim through the small claims court for amounts up to £10,000.

Using this website

• We try to keep the information on this website accurate and up to date, but it's for general guidance. Your written quote sets out exactly what we'll do and the price.
• The words, photos and design of this website belong to us or are used with permission. Please don't copy them without asking. Stock photos are credited on our photo credits page.
• Links to other websites are for your convenience. We're not responsible for their content.
• We can't promise the website will always be available or free of errors.
• Please don't misuse the website, for example by sending spam through the quote form or trying to break into it.

Other important terms

• We may ask another trusted fitter to help with or carry out some of the work. If we do, we stay responsible for it.
• We can only transfer the contract to someone else with your agreement. You can transfer it to someone else only with ours.
• The contract is between you and us. No one else can enforce it.
• If a court decides that part of these terms can't be enforced, the rest still applies.
• If we don't enforce a term straight away, we can still enforce it later.
• We may update these terms from time to time. The version that applies to your job is the one we sent with your quote when you accepted it.
• Our privacy policy explains how we use your personal data.

Which law applies

These terms are governed by the law of England and Wales. If you're a consumer, you can bring a claim in the courts of England and Wales. If you live in Scotland or Northern Ireland, you can also bring a claim in your local courts. If you're a business customer, see Business customers.

Contact us

Questions about these terms, or about your job? Contact Alex:

• Email: alexfloorings@gmail.com
• Phone or text: 07854 803082
• WhatsApp: message Alex (opens in a new tab)