"Almost half of the British population would not ​take a claim to the small claims court because they don't know what it does or what the process is"
Which? Survey Reveals Small Claims Confusion​
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Consumer Rights Solicitors.

When you purchase items or services from a business, they have a duty to ensure that any goods are fit for purpose and work complies with all trading standards regulations. If they fail in this duty and refuse to put things right, this is when a consumer dispute can arise. ​With any dispute with a trader it is important to get guidance and be clear about your consumer rights and your options for undertaking formal court action.

Court action is often in the form of a small claim and you can issue a small claim for almost any incident that breaches a contract you have made and where the value you wish to recover is under £10,000. A small claim can be made against a business, a sole trader or any other individual that you have a dispute with.
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Knowing your rights and having a clear understanding of the various legal options open to you can help get the problem rectified.

What problems are classed as a consumer dispute?

Almost any purchase from a business by an individual that involves goods or services in the UK are covered under the Consumer Rights Act 2015. Common examples are:

• Being sold faulty electrical goods
• Furniture that is substandard quality or not as described
• Non-delivery of goods bought online
• Used or new motor vehicles that are defective
• Poor quality work from tradesman (builders, plumbers, electricians etc.)
• Unfair cancellation terms or fees
• Repairs that were negligent or of poor workmanship
• Refund problems with retailers, traders or sellers

Importantly the Consumer Rights Act does not apply to private sales or services between individuals, however you can still pursue the matter via the small claims court.

Enforcing your consumer rights.

The Consumer Rights Act provides you with statutory rights so that any item you buy must be fit for purpose, of satisfactory quality and match the description given when it was sold. Likewise any service you order should be performed with reasonable care and skill, in a reasonable time-frame and at a reasonable cost.

If these rights are breached then you may have a claim against the retailer or supplier. A core element of your consumer rights is your right to reject where you have 30 days from the date you take delivery or ownership of the item to reject the product and get a full refund, repair or replacement. So never put off dealing with a problem.

Often retailers will put things right when you first inform them of the problem, but if this doesn't occur then you need to be aware of your next options which generally are:

1. Go through the company's complaints procedure
2. Escalate the issue to an Ombudsman or Trade Association (if available)
3. Make a claim in the small claims court yourself or through a retail solicitor

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We've created various free guides to help you through this process which can be viewed or downloaded at the bottom of this page. But if the issue isn't resolved informally, then the next step is to consider formal legal action and seek advice from consumer law solicitors.
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Small Claims Solicitors.

As consumer rights solicitors we are experts in the small claims process and can assist you with our range of fixed fee legal packages. These include free guides on resolving a consumer dispute yourself, providing detailed pre-litigation advice on the prospects of your case and issuing your claim in the small claims court.
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Free Guides and Template Letters

Our free guides provide an overview of the complaint and small claim process when dealing with faulty goods or poor service from a trader

• Free downloadable guide on the process of resolving and claiming after receiving poor service or a faulty product
• Fully editable template letters to adapt and send to the retailer or trader, including a Letter Before Action
• Overview of making a claim in the Small Claims Court

Faulty Goods Poor Service

Dispute Legal Advice

If the other party is disputing your right to a refund or repair, our fixed fee consumer or small claims legal advice service gets you access to a consumer dispute lawyer at an affordable price

• For a fixed fee we will:
• Review your dispute and supporting documentation
• Establish the prospects, risks and merits of a legal claim
• Provide you with a detailed letter of advice with a suggested course of action
• Organise a telephone call with your lawyer for any further clarification
• If appropriate, draft a letter to the other party based on the advice provided
• If required, provide a cost estimate for any further legal or court action that you may wish to pursue

£ 330 inc VAT

Issue Small Claim Proceedings

If following a legal review and Letter Before Action your dispute has not been resolved, we will commence formal legal proceedings

• For a fixed fee we will:
• Draft a County Court claim form and particulars of claim
• Issue a claim form and particulars at the court against the other party
• If the defendant fails to pay or respond to the court within 14 days, we will request judgment is entered against them
• Inform the other party of the court judgment and demand immediate payment or face enforcement action
• Advise on your judgment enforcement options
£ 240 inc VAT
* plus court issue fee (£35-£410) depending amount being claimed, which will attempted to be recovered as part of your small claim

Our fixed fee Dispute Legal Advice service includes considering up to 20 pages of supporting documentation (orders, contract terms, emails, expert reports, photographs etc.). If your dispute involves extra documentation that requires considering, we may need to charge a higher fee to cover the additional reading time involved. However we will always confirm any additional fee before commencing the work.
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​These services are suitable for most small claims where legal advice has not previously been obtained, are valued under £10,000 and incurred in England or Wales. If the amount you wish to recover is greater than £10,000 we may still be able to help so please contact us with details.
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Contact our Small Claim Solicitors.

Second hand goods and used vehicles.

If your purchase was sold as used or pre-owned, then your Consumer Rights still apply as long as you purchased from a business (not a private seller). However it is important to keep in mind that any product purchased as 'used' does not have to be of the same quality as the equivalent brand new product.

This is especially relevant to used car sales. For example at the point of sale at a dealership, a used vehicle should be roadworthy and safe to drive. However its age, mileage, servicing and accident history will all need to be taken into account when considering if it was of 'satisfactory quality' should a fault occur after purchase.

For further information and examples, you can read our guide on The Consumer Rights Act and Second Hand Goods.

How to make a claim in the Small Claims Court.

​Issuing a small claim allows you to take legal action against a company or individual who you have a dispute with and been left out of pocket.

Whether you want to settle a dispute, gain compensation for what you have spent to put things right or simply recover money owed to you, making a small claim could help you reach a solution if all other attempts to resolve have failed.
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What can I make a small claim for?

UNSUITABLE GOODS

​Obtain a refund after being sold faulty or unsuitable goods from a retail shop, online or trader.

​SUB-STANDARD SERVICE

​Compensation for services that were not to an appropriate standard, to your satisfaction or the agreed contract. E.g. building work, car repairs, equipment installation etc.

​MONEY OWED

Recover overdue debts and the related interest from a loan you have made to an individual or business.

​​Court proceedings should always be a last resort in trying to resolve any dispute. However if letters and complaints aren't getting you anywhere then the small claim process can help you achieve a settlement without incurring huge legal fees.

When starting a small claim you should always be prepared to ultimately go to a court hearing, but the whole process is designed for you to reach agreement before it gets that far. For your case to be suitable for a small claim its total financial value must be less than £10,000.
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Advantages and Risks of making a small claim.

​Advantages of making a small claim:

• More difficult for the other party to ignore than a complaint letter, email or call
• Can be done online with fixed court fees, and if you win your opponent will have to repay the fixed court fees back to you as part of your claim

Risks involved with a small claim:

• If you lose you may have to pay the expenses of the other party
• Only limited legal fees can be included in your claim if you choose to instruct a solicitor for small claims
• If the court approves an expert to be used you may have to contribute to their fees if you lose

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Our free guides to resolving a dispute and making a small claim.

​The small claims process is designed so that it can be undertaken by individuals without the need for a consumer solicitor, however in practice the process can be complex and time-consuming.

To assist we provide free guides on submitting a claim yourself as well as explaining our fixed fee services to help with specific legal areas such as drafting a letter before action. Find out more by viewing the below guides.

Faulty Products

Collect money owed by a friend

You'll be hearing from my solicitor!

What our consumer clients say.

"Used their services for a dispute with a car trader and Jane was brilliant. Informed me every step of the way and successfully resolved the dispute before going to court. Highly recommend."

Mr Kelly - Car Purchase Consumer Dispute

"Very friendly professional people who take care to guide through the legal minefields"

Mr Smith - Consumer Law

"An absolute pleasure to deal with in regard to a faulty product claim that I made against a national bicycle vendor. Prompt, friendly and incisive advice and service."

Blub on TrustPilot - Faulty Product Claim

"I would highly recommend the team at Catalyst Law for anyone wanting legal advice on a consumer law problem. They provided an excellent service and straightforward advice that was clear and easy to understand."

Mr Booth - Consumer Dispute