Check how the agreement was made
The Consumer Contracts Regulations distinguish off-premises, distance and on-premises contracts. A contract concluded during a meeting at your home may be off-premises. A distance contract has a specific definition involving an organised distance-sales or service scheme and exclusive distance communication up to agreement. Accepting an emailed quotation after meetings does not automatically establish that definition. [5]
Do not assume that paying a deposit or receiving an electronic signature request settles the classification. Preserve the sequence of visits, discussions, offer and acceptance so that the relevant rules can be checked. [5]
Work out the period correctly
For a qualifying service contract, the normal period ends 14 days after the day the contract was entered into. Goods contracts have different starting rules, generally linked to possession of the goods; a mixed supply-and-install arrangement needs correct classification rather than a blanket service-contract assumption. [6] [5]
Failure to provide the required cancellation information can extend the period. Regulation 31 provides a possible extension of up to 12 months beyond the normal expiry, with a different calculation where the missing information is supplied during that extension. [7]
Starting during the cooling-off period
For a service to start early, the consumer must expressly request it; for an off-premises contract, the request must be on a durable medium, such as email. If the contract is then cancelled, proportionate payment for properly requested work can be due, subject to the information requirements. [4]
Starting work alone does not automatically extinguish the right. For the relevant service contract, loss of the right on full performance also requires the prescribed request and acknowledgement. A trader that starts without the required request or information cannot simply assume payment for that early work is recoverable under these provisions. [4]
Important exclusions
The Regulations exclude contracts to the extent they concern constructing a new building or creating a substantially new building by conversion. Do not apply a standard renovation cancellation summary to those projects. [2]
The cancellation provisions also exclude genuinely personalised goods and specifically requested urgent repair or maintenance visits. Extra services or goods beyond the requested urgent work are treated separately. A claim that everything is “bespoke” should be checked against the actual goods and contract. [3]
Give a clear cancellation notice
Use the model form or another clear statement that you are cancelling, and keep evidence of sending it in time. Do not rely on simply failing to pay or mentioning that you are considering cancellation. Where classification or charges are disputed, obtain individual advice before assuming all payments must be refunded. [8]