Customer Terms

Draft for solicitor review. Effective from [date].

These terms apply when you use Trades Express to get a new boiler or other home installation. Please read them before you accept a quote. Nothing in these terms takes away your legal rights as a consumer.

1. Who we are

1.1 Trades Express is run by [Trades Express Ltd], a company registered in England and Wales with company number [Company number], registered office [Address]. Contact us at [email] or [phone].

1.2 "We", "us" and "our" mean Trades Express. "You" means the person using Trades Express to arrange work at their home. "Engineer" means the independent, Gas Safe registered engineer who surveys and installs your job.

2. How Trades Express works

2.1 You tell us about your job and send photos. We show you a price range and you book a free home survey.

2.2 Local engineers bid privately for your job. We choose the engineer based on price, rating and availability. The same engineer does your survey and, if you go ahead, your installation.

2.3 After the survey, we send you a fixed-price quote in the app with up to three options: Essential, Comfort and Premium.

2.4 If you accept, you pay the full amount, which is held safely and only released to the engineer after the job is signed off.

2.5 Requesting a specific engineer. You can request a particular engineer, for example one a friend recommended. Your job then goes only to that engineer. A requested engineer fee of [£75] applies, shown before you confirm, unless you reached the engineer through their own share link. If the engineer doesn't accept within 24 hours (4 hours if you have no heating), or at any time before they accept, you can choose to send your job to other engineers instead, and the fee no longer applies.

2.6 Referral rewards. If you share an engineer's profile and the person you referred completes a job through Trades Express, you get [£25] credit off a future Trades Express job, valid for [12 months]. Rewards never depend on leaving a review. We may withhold rewards for self-referrals or misuse. Credit has no cash value.

3. Your account

3.1 You must be 18 or over and the owner of the property, or have the owner's permission for the work.

3.2 Keep your login details private. You're responsible for activity on your account.

3.3 Give us accurate information. Wrong information about your property may change your quote.

4. Photo survey and price range

4.1 The price range shown after your photo survey is an estimate based on similar jobs. It is not a quote and you are not committed to anything.

5. Free home survey

5.1 The home survey is free and there's no obligation to go ahead.

5.2 Please make sure an adult is at home, the engineer can safely reach the boiler, flue, gas meter and pipework, and pets are kept away from the work area.

5.3 Engineers are told not to discuss prices at your home. Your price always comes from Trades Express in the app.

6. Quotes

6.1 Your quote is based on the survey. It lists the price of each option, any extra work found at the survey (with the reason and a photo), and the expected installation time.

6.2 Prices include VAT at the current rate.

6.3 A quote is valid for 30 days. After that you can ask for an updated quote.

7. Accepting and paying

7.1 You accept a quote by choosing an option and paying the full price in the app. You can accept while the engineer is still with you, or later.

7.2 Payments are processed by our payment provider, Stripe. We hold your payment and only release it to the engineer after the job is signed off (see section 13).

7.3 If the job doesn't go ahead for a reason covered in these terms, you get your money back as set out in sections 9 and 10.

7.4 When you pay, you can save your card so we can charge for extra work during the installation (see section 12).

8. Who your contract is with

[Lawyer to confirm: agent model, see Read me first, decision 1.]

8.1 We sell you the boiler and installation kit.

8.2 The installation is carried out by the engineer, who is an independent business and not our employee. We arrange the installation and collect payment for it as the engineer's agent.

8.3 Whatever the arrangement, you only ever deal with and pay Trades Express, and the promises in these terms (including our 12 month guarantee) are made by us.

9. Your right to cancel

9.1 You can cancel your contract within 14 days of accepting your quote, for any reason, without paying a penalty.

9.2 Work won't start within those 14 days unless you ask it to. If you tick "Start the work within 14 days" when you accept, and then cancel after work has started, you pay a fair amount for the work already done and the boiler and parts already fitted or delivered. You get the rest back.

9.3 Once the installation is complete, you can no longer cancel under this section. Your other legal rights still apply.

9.4 To cancel, use the cancel option in the app or email [email]. You can also use the model cancellation form at [link].

9.5 We refund you within 14 days of your cancellation, to the card you paid with.

9.6 After the 14 days and before work starts, you can still ask to cancel. We'll refund you less any costs we can't recover, such as a boiler already delivered that can't be returned. We'll tell you the amount before you confirm. [Lawyer to confirm.]

10. If we cancel or can't do the job

10.1 If we can't find an engineer, your engineer can't do the job, or the survey shows the work isn't possible, we'll offer you another engineer or a full refund.

10.2 If your engineer doesn't turn up, stops replying, or leaves a job unfinished, we'll arrange another engineer as quickly as we can, usually the same or next day. If you'd rather not continue, we'll refund you for any work not done.

11. Installation day

11.1 We'll confirm the installation date in the app and tell you when your engineer is on the way.

11.2 Please give the engineer safe access, clear the area around the boiler, and make sure an adult is at home.

11.3 Your heating and hot water will be off for part of the day. The app shows the expected installation time with your quote.

11.4 Gas safety: if you ever smell gas or your carbon monoxide alarm sounds, leave the property and call the National Gas Emergency number on 0800 111 999 straight away.

12. Extra work found during installation

12.1 Sometimes an engineer finds something during the installation that couldn't be seen at the survey. They'll request the extra work in the app with a photo and an explanation.

12.2 For extra work costing under £50, you agree when you pay that we can charge your saved card without asking you again. You'll be told in the app straight away, with the reason and photo. [Lawyer to confirm, see Read me first, decision 5.]

12.3 For extra work costing £50 or more, nothing is done or charged unless you approve it in the app. If you say no, the engineer will explain any effect on the job.

13. Sign-off and payment release

13.1 When the engineer finishes, you'll be asked in the app to check the work and sign off. Signing off releases your payment to the engineer.

13.2 If something isn't right, choose "Report a problem" instead. Your payment stays held while it's sorted out (see section 15).

13.3 If you don't sign off or report a problem within 72 hours, the job is signed off automatically and payment is released. We'll remind you before this happens.

13.4 Signing off, or automatic sign-off, only releases payment. It does not affect your 12 month guarantee or your legal rights.

14. Our 12 month workmanship guarantee

14.1 For 12 months after sign-off, if a problem is caused by the installation work, we'll get it fixed at no cost to you.

14.2 Report it in the app with photos. Your engineer must respond within 48 hours. If they don't, or can't fix it, we'll send another engineer and cover the cost.

14.3 The boiler itself is covered by the manufacturer's warranty, which we register for you. The length is shown on your quote. If the boiler is faulty, contact us and we'll help you claim.

14.4 The guarantee doesn't cover damage caused by misuse, accidents, work by someone else, or lack of servicing as required by the manufacturer.

14.5 This guarantee is in addition to your legal rights and doesn't replace them.

15. If something goes wrong

15.1 Use "Report a problem" in the app, with a description and photos. Your payment stays held while it's being sorted.

15.2 The engineer will have 48 hours to respond and arrange a fix. If you and the engineer can't agree, we'll review the job photos, survey, messages and paperwork, and decide what happens. This may include a repair, another engineer, or a full or partial refund.

16. Your legal rights

16.1 By law, the boiler and parts must be as described, fit for purpose and of satisfactory quality, and the installation must be carried out with reasonable care and skill.

16.2 If they aren't, you may be entitled to a repair, replacement, price reduction or refund. For more information, visit Citizens Advice.

17. Our responsibility to you

17.1 We're responsible for loss or damage you suffer that is a foreseeable result of us breaking these terms or failing to use reasonable care and skill.

17.2 We don't exclude or limit our liability where it would be unlawful to do so, including for death or personal injury caused by negligence, fraud, or breach of your legal rights as a consumer.

17.3 We're not responsible for business losses. Trades Express is for homeowners, not business use.

17.4 Every engineer must hold at least £2m public liability insurance, which covers damage to your property caused by their work.

18. Using Trades Express fairly

18.1 Please only arrange and pay for work through the app. If you agree a deal with an engineer outside Trades Express, it won't be covered by our payment protection, our guarantee or these terms.

18.2 Don't misuse the app, give false information, or post reviews that break our Reviews Policy.

18.3 Treat engineers with respect. We may close accounts for abusive behaviour.

19. Complaints

19.1 If you're unhappy with us, contact [complaints email]. We'll acknowledge your complaint within [2 working days] and aim to resolve it within [14 days].

19.2 If we can't resolve it, [name of the alternative dispute resolution provider, if any] may be able to help. You can also go to court. [Lawyer to confirm ADR wording.]

20. General

20.1 We may update these terms. Changes won't affect a job you've already paid for unless the law requires it.

20.2 If a court finds part of these terms invalid, the rest still applies.

20.3 These terms are governed by the law of England and Wales. If you live in Scotland or Northern Ireland, you can bring proceedings in your local courts.

20.4 How we use your personal data is set out in our Privacy Policy. How reviews work is set out in our Reviews Policy.