DocMuse is a private, paid service run by The Muse Technology EOOD (Bulgaria). It is not a government website and is not connected with mygov.scot, the Scottish Government, the Scottish Courts and Tribunals Service or any other public body. It is not a law firm and is not regulated by the Law Society of Scotland or any other legal regulator, so the Scottish Legal Complaints Commission cannot consider complaints about it; its documents are not legal advice.
Complaint about poor work by a builder, garage or other trader (Scotland)
Scotland · in English · for consumers
€2.00Fill it in online free — pay only to download
13 questions · about 5 min
Made for use in Scotland
Fill in the form
Your answers stay on this device for 7 days, or until you clear them.
- Instant download after payment
- Backup link emailed to you
- No account needed
For a consumer in Scotland whose builder, decorator, garage, repairer or other service provider did the work badly or not as agreed. Under the Consumer Rights Act 2015, which applies across the UK, a trader must perform a service with reasonable care and skill; the letter asks for the work to be put right at the trader's cost or, where that is not possible, for a price reduction (sections 49, 55 and 56), and is a letter before action with 14 days to reply, then a claim in the sheriff court (simple procedure up to £5,000). Send it by email and by first class post, with photos.
- Made for use in Scotland
- Last updated October 29, 2026
- Document in English
Where a UK document reproduces the words of legislation or of a government publication — UK, Scottish or Northern Irish — it contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
Published byDocMuse
When to use this document
- The builder who did your extension in Scotland left cracks and leaks.
- The garage charged you for a repair and the same fault came back the next day.
- The decorator walked off the job half finished and will not return your calls.
- You want a trader in Scotland to put poor work right or give you money back.
What you fill in
The details the document asks for.
- Sender
- Sender's address
- Town or city
- Sender's postcode
- Date
- Trader
- Trader's postal address
- Description of the work
- Date of the contract
- Price
- What the complaint is about
- Work put right, or price reduction
- Amount claimed
Common questions
- What can I demand from a builder or garage in Scotland whose work is poor?
- First, that the trader does the work again properly, at its own cost and within a reasonable time (section 55 of the Consumer Rights Act 2015). If that is impossible, or does not happen in a reasonable time, a price reduction, which can be up to the full price (section 56). Losses the bad work caused, such as damage to your home or car, can be claimed as well.
- Can I bring in another trader in Scotland and charge the first one for the repair?
- Usually only after giving the first trader a fair chance to put it right, as this letter does. If it refuses or fails, get written quotes from other traders and keep the invoices: the sheriff may award the reasonable cost of the repair as part of the price reduction or as damages. Keep photos of the work before anyone else touches it.
- What if a trader in Scotland never finished the job or took far too long?
- Where no time was agreed, a service must be done within a reasonable time (section 52 of the Consumer Rights Act 2015). Describe the delays and what is left undone, and claim the extra costs this caused you. For building work, a trade association the trader belongs to may offer free or low-cost dispute resolution, and consumeradvice.scot gives free advice and can refer the trader to Trading Standards.
How you can sign this document
- Print it and sign by hand. The signature lines in the document are left blank on purpose — sign on them in ink.
- Sign it yourself with a qualified electronic signature. If you already hold a QES — Evrotrust, B-Trust, StampIT, ZealiD or any qualified provider on the EU Trusted List, on a card, a USB token, in a mobile app or in the cloud — our signing guide explains step by step how to sign this exact file without invalidating it. Step-by-step help, and a way to check it worked
DocMuse sells documents, not legal advice. Acceptance always depends on the recipient's rules and your local law.
Related documents
- Letter before action to a business that will not refund or pay you (Scotland)
For a consumer in Scotland whose complaint to a trader has got nowhere — a refund refused, a deposit kept, money owed for faulty goods or poor work. Scotland has no pre-action protocol, but the simple procedure claim form asks what you have done to settle: this letter sets out the claim and the amount, lists your documents, gives 14 days to reply, and says you will otherwise raise simple procedure in the sheriff court for a claim of up to £5,000. Send it by email and by first class post with a free certificate of posting, and keep a copy.
- Final right to reject or price reduction after a failed repair (Scotland)
For a consumer in Scotland whose faulty goods were repaired or replaced once and are still faulty, or whom the trader did not repair or replace within a reasonable time. The letter uses the final right to reject for a refund, or keeps the goods and asks for a price reduction (section 24 of the Consumer Rights Act 2015), and is a letter before action with 14 days to reply, then simple procedure in the sheriff court. Send it to the retailer by email and by first class post, with a copy of the earlier correspondence.
- Complaint about an order that never arrived (Scotland)
For a consumer in Scotland whose order from an online or high-street trader has not arrived. Under section 28 of the Consumer Rights Act 2015 the trader must deliver within the agreed time or, if none was agreed, within 30 days, and the goods stay at its risk until you have them (section 29), so a parcel lost in transit is its problem. The letter gives a final 14 days to deliver, after which the contract ends and a full refund is due; it is also a letter before action, with simple procedure in the sheriff court as the next step. Send it by email and by first class post.
- Faulty goods: reject them for a refund, or ask for a repair or replacement (Scotland)
For a consumer in Scotland whose goods from a business turn out faulty, not as described or unfit for their purpose. Within 30 days you can reject them for a full refund; after that, you ask for one repair or replacement first (Consumer Rights Act 2015, sections 9 to 23, which apply across the UK). The letter states the fault, makes your choice and is a letter before action: the trader has 14 days to reply before simple procedure in the sheriff court. Send it to the retailer, not the manufacturer, by email and by first class post.
- Complaint about a package holiday that was not as booked (Scotland)
For a traveller in Scotland whose package holiday — flights and hotel, or other travel services sold together — was not as booked: a different or poor hotel, missing services, a changed itinerary. Under the Package Travel and Linked Travel Arrangements Regulations 2018, which apply across the UK, the organiser is responsible for every part of the package and owes a price reduction and compensation for what went wrong. The letter claims them and is a letter before action with 14 days to reply, then simple procedure in the sheriff court. Send it to the organiser by email and by first class post.
- Claim to a dealer for a faulty used car (Scotland)
For a consumer in Scotland who bought a used car from a dealer and found a fault. Under the Consumer Rights Act 2015 the car must be of satisfactory quality for its age, mileage and price, and as described. The letter describes the fault and asks for the remedy you choose: rejection and a full refund within 30 days of delivery, a repair or replacement, or, after a failed repair, a refund or a price reduction. It is a letter before action: 14 days to reply, then a claim in the sheriff court (simple procedure up to £5,000). On hire purchase, send it to the finance company. Not for a private sale.