Adam Frankel
General Counsel · Technology & AI
15+ years as General Counsel to technology, cloud & AI companies
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]
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
How long
Used once
Signed by
complainant
Witness
Not required
Notarisation
Not required
Law it's drafted under
Governed by
Consumer Rights Act 2015
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.
Jurisdiction
England & Wales
Source
Document info
HTML document. Document created on Fri Sep 26th, 2025. Last updated on Mon Nov 3rd, 2025.
This document is public
Licensed under Proprietary / All Rights Reserved.
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