Letter to complain about the poor standard of a service by Citizens Advice
The Citizens Advice template letter to complain about a poor standard of service helps consumers request a repair or refund when a trader fails to carry out work with reasonable care and skill. It is part of Citizens Advice’s widely trusted library of open, lawyer-vetted letter templates.
Letter to complain about the poor standard of a service
[complainant name]
[complainant address line 1]
[complainant address line 2]
[complainant email]
[complainant phone]
[recipient name]
[recipient address line 1]
[recipient address line 2]
[letter date]
To whom it may concern,
Consumer Rights Act 2015
On [service date], you agreed to the following work: [service description].
We agreed this work would be completed by [agreed completion date] at a cost of [agreed cost].
However, I have had the following problems:
List any faults or defects.
The sink you installed doesn't drain properly
The flush on the toilet doesn't work at all
According to the law named above, I am entitled to have this work done with reasonable care and skill.
I would like you to repair both of these faults within a week or I would like you to refund my money and I will ask someone to do the work who is able to.
Please respond to my complaint/complete the work in the next [number of days] days. If you fail to respond/remedy in this time, I will have no option but to consider taking the matter further.
Yours faithfully,
[complainant name]
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About this template
What is this template?
This is a formal letter of complaint sent from a consumer to a business service provider. It explicitly cites the Consumer Rights Act 2015 and provides placeholders for specific faults like non-draining sinks or broken toilet flushes. It is not a court claim form or a settlement agreement.
When should you use it?
Use this letter when a professional service was not performed with reasonable care and skill and you want to demand a repair or refund. Use a Section 75 Claim Letter instead if you are claiming directly against a credit card provider.
What's inside
| Clause | Name | What it does |
|---|---|---|
| Paragraph 2 | Contract Particulars | Specifies the original service date, the description of work agreed, the agreed completion date, and the total cost of £300. |
| Paragraph 4 | Fault Description | Identifies specific defects such as a sink that does not drain or a toilet flush that does not work. |
| Paragraph 5 | Legal Basis | Cites the Consumer Rights Act 2015 to assert the consumer's right to work completed with reasonable care and skill. |
| Paragraph 6 | Proposed Remedy | Demands either a repair within one week or a full refund to facilitate hiring an alternative service provider. |
| Paragraph 7 | Notice Period | Requires a response or remedy within a specified 14 day period before the complainant takes further legal action. |
Who it's for
- a UK consumer seeking a refund or repair for sub-standard plumbing or home installation work
- a customer asserting statutory rights under the Consumer Rights Act 2015 following a service failure
- an individual notifying a trader of a formal deadline to remedy defects before escalating to litigation
How long it runs and how it's signed
Law it's drafted under
England & Wales note
This version is drafted for England & Wales. Scotland and Northern Ireland differ on some points — for example notice periods and tribunal procedure. Tell GitLaw where you hire and it adjusts the draft.
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