Your legal right to charge interest on an outstanding debt depends on a few factors which we'll cover in this guide. These include:

• Your status as a business or an individual
• The status of the debtor
• Any contract, terms & conditions or agreement that is in place relating to the debt
• If court proceedings have been commenced

But if you are in any doubt whether you can charge interest on the money that is owed to you, you should seek legal advice from solicitors that specialise in debt recovery.
 

The ability to charge interest on an overdue invoice or order will depend on the status of your customer and the contractual terms you have agreed that deal with any late payment. If you have a contract in place that contains a provision or clause for interest to be charged, then this should be sufficient to add interest to the overdue amount at the agreed rate.

If there is no specific contract in place with your customer that dictates interest charges, you may still be able to claim interest via legislation known as the Late Payment of Commercial Debts (Interest) Act 1998 if your customer is also a business (limited company, sole trader, partnership etc.).
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This late payment legislation permits you to charge 8% interest plus the Bank of England base rate on overdue debts owed by your business customers (B2B). You can begin charging interest as soon as payment becomes overdue, and if no payment date was documented or agreed payment is classed as late 30 days from the customer receiving your invoice or delivery of the service/product.

There are some exceptions and additional items that can be claimed as part of this legislation, so please read our full guide on claiming interest on unpaid invoices. Alternatively you may wish to instruct business debt recovery solicitors who will be able to calculate your late payment interest and compensation entitlement on your behalf.
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If the customer whose payment is overdue is an individual and not a business, there is no statutory right to charge interest on the amount. So, unless you have an agreed contract or terms of business in place that specifies additional charges will be made in the event of late payment, no interest is able to be added to the debt until court proceedings are started.

When dealing with debts incurred by consumers (and sole-traders) it is also important to comply with the Pre-Action Protocol for Debt Claims. Failure to do so before commencing court proceedings may result in sanctions being imposed on you, likely in relation to your court costs.

If you are owed money as an individual such as through a private sale, shared bills or a personal loan, there is no entitlement to claim interest on the debt unless you have a signed contract or agreement that permits it.

For example, in the case of lending money ideally you will have documented the arrangement in a loan agreement which should have a provision for any interest and what occurs in the event of the borrower defaulting on their repayments.

Without a written contract interest is not able to be added to a personal debt prior to court proceedings being started.
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Regardless of the status of the debtor and the absence of a right to contractual interest, if you get to the stage of issuing a court claim to recover the debt, interest will often be able to be added to the amount owed.

Section 69 of the County Courts Act 1984 permits interest to be added to most non-commercial debts at the rate of 8% per year. This is a statutory interest rate and you can usually claim it from the date the debt was due up to the date you issue the claim.

At the point of issuing court proceedings, other court fees and costs can also be added to the amount that is being claimed. However note that as with any other element of a claim, interest is awarded at the discretion of the court.

The applicable interest is just one of the items that needs to be considered and calculated as part of a court claim for a debt. Therefore, it is always advisable to seek early legal advice if you are contemplating pursuing a substantial debt.
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In the eyes of the law, a personal trainer should provide services with reasonable skill and care. You are not required to be perfect, nor are you responsible for every single accident that occurs.

You are however required to provide competent instruction and equipment that meets industry standards, within a safe environment.

Key evidence that can assist in demonstrating competency when defending a claim are:

• Qualifications & Experience - Providing current and industry-recognised certifications, such as CIMSPA accreditation, gym instructing or sports coaching qualifications.
• Training Standards - Show that your methods follow UK standard coaching protocols or industry accepted workout plans.

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A signed waiver or disclaimer notice does not give a person a license to be careless and cause injury. As you cannot exclude your liability (fault) for causing a personal injury from negligence via a contract or terms of business.

However, documentation that shows that checks were done, an induction took place or important safety information was provided can be extremely useful.

For example, if you required a physical activity readiness questionnaire (PAR-Q) or another type of health survey completing before taking on a new client. This can be excellent evidence in a defence that reasonable steps were taken to obtain important information and that the client was informed of the inherent risks of exercise.
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A common defence can be that the claimant is in some way responsible in part for their own injuries. Whether a client went beyond what they were instructed to do, they ignored direct supervision or used equipment in a manner that was unsafe.

An important element of proving this is demonstrating that the client was explicitly forbidden from taking the action they took or placed themselves in danger that was obvious.
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If a defendant is successful in arguing contributory negligence, it can reduce the compensation awarded by a percentage that reflects the claimant's own fault.
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The first legal notification you may receive is a Letter of Claim or Claim Notification Form from solicitors acting for the injured person.

Once this is received you should:

1. Inform your insurer or own solicitor - Your insurer should appoint representation and deal with the claim once you pass the letter to them. If you don’t have insurance, or are not covered by your policy, you will need to instruct your own defendant personal injury solicitor.
2. Preserve documentary evidence - Retain CCTV footage, accident books, booking or attendance records, maintenance logs and workout plans.
3. Photograph the area - Take photos and/or a video of the area where the injury allegedly occurred. If equipment was involved, also capture images to show the condition and consider removing it from current use.
4. Witnesses - Check if there were any witnesses to the incident, including staff and other gym-goers. If there was, ask them to write a brief account of what they saw.

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As a fitness professional, your career is built on enhancing the health and well-being of others. Because of this personal investment, facing a compensation claim for an alleged injury can feel deeply personal-often more so than in other professions.
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However, regardless of the circumstances or where the fault may lie, the most effective way to protect your livelihood is to secure professional legal advice. As a proactive defence ensures your side of the story is presented clearly and professionally.

​​If you discover a fault with an item, this act gives you the right to return it for a full refund within the first 30 day of purchase. After the first 30 days (but within the first six months) you can still return the item, but you must give the retailer the opportunity to replace or repair the fault.

After six months, to return the item you must prove that the fault was present when it was first purchased, which can be more difficult if a product was second hand or pre-owned from the outset.

Second hand products may have imperfections and faults that are attributed to normal wear and tear. In some cases, there may be quality issues with a product due to its age and how it has been previously used.
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Fit for purpose means that the item must function correctly and last for a period of time that is 'reasonable'. In relation to used goods the item should function fully for the purpose it was designed and sold for. However, being a used item, it may show signs of being pre-owned and not last as long as you would expect a brand-new item to last.
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For example:

• When buying a used vehicle from a car dealership, it should be roadworthy and safe to drive at the point of sale. However depending on its age and history at the time of purchase, maintenance and servicing may be required much sooner than the equivalent brand-new vehicle.
• If purchasing an ex-display or refurbished laptop from a computer store, you should expect that all components are fully working. However, if it's being sold as ex-display it’s battery life may be less pristine than an unused laptop.

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Satisfactory quality is basically a standard that a reasonable person would consider as being acceptable taking into consideration the item's description, price and circumstances of the purchase. It is most often relating to a product's appearance, freedom from defect, durability and safety. Obviously, the quality of an item can be subjective, but your expectations should generally be lower if you are purchasing an item that has been previously used.

For example:

• A pre-owned vehicle is unlikely to have pristine paintwork and interior, so it may not be considered reasonable to reject a used vehicle on this basis.
• If you purchase a used four-year-old washing machine from a discount appliance retailer that failed after nine months. The reasonableness of it being of an 'unsatisfactory quality' may be difficult to prove if you only paid £10 for it.

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As described means that an item must be accurately advertised and described by the trader. If you asked questions about the product in store prior to purchasing, such as its warranty status, service history or how it currently operates, the information given should all be correct. Likewise, if the salesperson advises you of a fault with an item, then it is 'as described' and you can't reject it due to it having the fault.

For example: 

• If you purchase a car that is advertised as being a repaired 'category S write off', the car should be roadworthy however you cannot return it only because of past structural damage or its involvement in an accident.
• If a shop assistant offers to sell you a discounted furniture set that is water damaged, you cannot later reject the items due to stains or damage that the water has caused.

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Warranties or guarantees are an optional addition to your legal (statutory) rights as a consumer.

Warranty can be provided by the manufacturer as part of the product or able to be purchased separately and ran by a third party (e.g. used-car warranty, extended appliance guarantee etc.)

Your eligibility to claim under the warranty will depend on the warranty policy's terms and conditions, however it is not uncommon for there to be numerous exclusions. These can range from the age of the item (12 months from original purchase), where it was purchased from (an authorised retailer or dealership), being conditional on regular maintenance (serviced every year) or limited to certain faults (excludes wear and tear).

Another common exclusion is that you must be the original purchaser or at least have proof of the original purchase, such as a receipt.

The specific warranty policy needs to be checked to confirm if an item is eligible for a repair or return. But it is always worth checking especially on recently manufactured products.

Depending on how you paid the retailer for your purchase, there may be some additional protections available known as Section 75. This section of the Consumer Credit Act basically means that any credit provider involved in the purchase shares responsibility if things go wrong.

Therefore if you made the purchase with a credit card, store card or car finance agreement, you should contact your card issuer or finance provider to see if there is any action they can take.

​A 'chargeback' may also be an option on credit and debit card purchases if things go wrong. This is where you can ask your bank to reverse the transaction and refund your payment. You will need to contact your bank with details of your attempts to obtain a refund and request that they start a chargeback claim.

When buying second hand goods online, over the telephone, at home, or through mail order from a retailer you will also benefit from additional protections. Namely the Consumer Contract Regulations, or to give it its full name The Consumer Contracts (Information, Cancellation and Additional Charges) Regulations 2013.

These regulations cover what was previously known as 'Distance Selling' and provides some extra rights, even when purchasing a used product. These rights include:

• a right to clear information on how the goods can be paid for, the delivery charges and who pays for returns
• a 14 day right to cancel or change your mind on the purchase for any reason
• a right to a refund within 14 days of returning an item

The retailer is entitled to expect that anything sent back is returned in the exact condition as it was received. This can sometimes be a point of dispute when returning second hand goods as they are likely to have not been in original packaging etc. in the first instance.

An important point to remember when buying second hand products online is that not every website purchase is classed as buying from a business. When you buy from sites such as eBay, Facebook Marketplace, Vinted, Gumtree, Shpock or Amazon Marketplace you will need to check if the actual seller is a business or trader. As if they are a private individual, then consumer rights and contract protections will not apply to your purchase.

However many online trading sites do have their own buyer protection policies and dispute resolution processes which may be able to be used.
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If you purchase items from a private seller via a web advertisement, local newspaper advert or car boot sale it is important to be aware that you don't have any consumer rights. For the Consumer Rights Act to apply you need to be an individual making a purchase from a business.

If you do buy a second-hand item from a private individual it only has to match any advertised description. This limited protection falls under The Misrepresentation Act for when an untrue fact or statement is made by the seller to convince a buyer to make a purchase.

A private seller isn't under any obligation to tell you about any faults or defects, and there's no requirement for the item to be of satisfactory quality or suitable for any specific purpose.

So, as you may have heard, purchasing from a private seller is a matter of 'buyer beware'. You should check the product thoroughly to ensure you are 100% happy before buying it.

For example:

• Should you consider buying a used car privately, you ideally should have your own mechanic examine it and undertake checks on its history (HPI etc.) before purchasing, as you can't return it if faults are found at a later date.
• If you privately purchase a caravan that turns out to have faults with it's electrics, cooker and shower. It will not have been misrepresented to you unless the seller specifically said all these components were in full working order.

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In the majority of cases once you make the retailer aware of the fault, they should deal with your concerns inline with your consumer rights. If they refuse, the next step is escalating the matter as a complaint and then involving any associated ombudsman which should be detailed in the retailer's terms and conditions.

If all these steps fail, your only available method of resolution may be to start court proceedings. If the value of your claim is less than £10,000, it will be treated as a 'small claim' which means there are set fees to issue the claim and only limited legal expenses are able to be added (see our guide on how much does it cost to take someone to court).

Therefore if the value of your consumer claim is significant, it will be worthwhile seeking legal advice on your dispute before beginning court action to ensure the consumer laws are on your side.