Service Terms and Conditions

These terms and conditions do not affect your statutory rights under the Consumer Rights Act 2015 or other applicable consumer protection legislation.

1. Estimates and quotations

Any estimate we provide is an approximate indication of the likely cost of the work, based on the information available and the prices of parts, materials and labour applicable at the time the estimate is prepared.

An estimate is not a fixed quotation. The final cost may change where additional work is found to be necessary, where the price or availability of parts or materials changes, or where circumstances arise which could not reasonably have been identified when the estimate was prepared.

In particular, the price of genuine Honda parts and other components may change between the date of the estimate and the date on which the work is carried out.

Where a change would result in a material increase in the estimated cost, we will notify you and obtain your authority before carrying out the additional or revised work.

Where we provide a quotation expressly stated to be a fixed quotation, we will honour that quotation subject to any exclusions or assumptions made clear when it is given.

A reasonable charge may be made for preparing an estimate where you have been advised of that charge in advance.

2. Authorisation and additional work

We will carry out the work authorised by you.

If further work is identified while the vehicle is being inspected, serviced or repaired, we will normally obtain your authority before carrying out additional chargeable work.

You may agree in advance that we can carry out additional work up to a specified value without obtaining further authority from you.

We will not knowingly carry out additional chargeable work beyond the work authorised by you, or any spending limit agreed with you, without first seeking your approval.

3. Diagnosis, dismantling and cancelled work

Some faults cannot reasonably be diagnosed without dismantling or removing parts of the vehicle. Where you have authorised diagnostic or repair work, that authority includes such reasonable dismantling as is necessary to carry out the authorised work.

You may withdraw your authority for work at any time.

If you withdraw your authority after work has commenced, you will remain responsible for the reasonable cost of:

• work already carried out;
• diagnostic work already undertaken;
• parts or materials already used;
• parts specifically ordered for your vehicle which cannot reasonably be returned or cancelled; and
• work reasonably necessary to reassemble the vehicle following dismantling carried out with your authority.

Where a vehicle cannot reasonably or safely be returned to a roadworthy or driveable condition without further work, we will explain this to you. If you do not authorise that work, you will be responsible for arranging and paying for suitable recovery or transportation of the vehicle.

4. Prices and VAT

Unless otherwise stated, prices quoted to consumers include VAT at the applicable rate.

Where an estimate is prepared in advance, any VAT shown will be based on the rate in force at that time. If the applicable rate of VAT changes before the work is completed, VAT will be charged at the rate required by law when the relevant supply is made.

5. Payment

Unless alternative arrangements have been agreed with us in advance, payment is due in full when the work is completed and before the vehicle is collected.

You will be responsible for payment for work which you have authorised, together with any other charges properly due under these terms.

6. Collection of vehicles

A vehicle may be collected by you or by another person whom you have authorised to collect it on your behalf.

We may require reasonable evidence of identity or authority before releasing a vehicle.

Where work has been stopped or cancelled before completion, the provisions relating to diagnosis, dismantling, reassembly and payment above will apply.

7. Vehicles awaiting collection or instructions

Our premises have limited space and we cannot provide indefinite vehicle storage.

Where:

• your vehicle is ready for collection; or
• we are unable to continue work because we are waiting for your instructions or authority,

we may ask you to collect the vehicle or provide the necessary instructions within a reasonable period.

If the vehicle remains with us after that period, we may give you notice that a reasonable daily storage charge will apply from a specified date. The amount of the charge will be notified to you before it begins to accrue.

Storage charges will not be imposed retrospectively without notice.

8. Right to retain the vehicle

Where payment is properly due for work carried out on your vehicle, we may exercise any legal right we have to retain possession of the vehicle until the amount due has been paid.

This does not affect any statutory rights available to you.

9. Uncollected vehicles and goods

If a vehicle or other goods are not collected, we may exercise our rights under the Torts (Interference with Goods) Act 1977 or other applicable law.

This may ultimately include selling the vehicle or goods where permitted by law and after the appropriate notices have been given.

Where a vehicle or goods are sold under those provisions, the proceeds will be dealt with in accordance with the applicable law, including deduction of sums properly due to us and reasonable costs associated with the sale.

10. Subcontracted work

We may subcontract specialist or other work to suitably qualified third parties where we consider this appropriate.

Where the work forms part of our contract with you, we remain responsible to you for that work in accordance with our legal obligations.

11. Removed and replaced parts

Parts removed from your vehicle will normally be disposed of following completion of the work unless you ask us, before the work is carried out, to retain them for you.

Where reasonably practicable, we will make removed parts available for inspection on request before they are disposed of.

We cannot return parts which are required to be returned to Honda, another manufacturer, a supplier, warranty provider or other third party, including exchange units.

The right to retain or inspect removed parts does not apply to fluids, oils, filters or other consumable materials where retention or return would be impractical, unsafe or inappropriate, or to any item which cannot lawfully or safely be returned.

12. Paintwork

Where paintwork is required, we will carry out the work with reasonable care and skill.

Existing corrosion, deterioration, previous repairs, ageing, weathering and differences between old and new paint may affect the finished appearance or the ability to achieve an exact colour match.

Where corrosion is found, we will take reasonable precautions appropriate to the work authorised, but treatment of visible corrosion cannot guarantee that corrosion will not subsequently recur or develop elsewhere.

Where only part of a panel or vehicle is being painted, we will use reasonable care and skill to obtain an appropriate colour match, but an exact match with aged or weathered existing paint may not always be achievable.

13. Completion dates and delays

We will make reasonable efforts to complete work within any timescale agreed with you.

Unless we have expressly guaranteed a particular completion date, completion dates and times are estimates and may be affected by circumstances outside our reasonable control, including delays in obtaining parts, materials or specialist services.

Where there is a significant delay, we will endeavour to keep you informed.

Nothing in this clause affects your statutory rights, including any rights arising where a service is not performed within the time required by law.

14. Care of your vehicle and personal property

We will take reasonable care of your vehicle while it is in our custody.

Please remove money, valuables, business goods and other personal property from the vehicle before leaving it with us.

We do not carry out a detailed search or inventory of the contents of vehicles when they are received and cannot verify what personal property was present in a vehicle when it was left with us.

Where valuable property is brought specifically to our attention and left in the vehicle, we may ask you to remove it or make alternative arrangements.

We will not be responsible for loss of or damage to property left in a vehicle unless that loss or damage results from our breach of contract, negligence, failure to exercise reasonable care, or another liability which cannot lawfully be excluded.

Where, by agreement with you or on your instructions, a vehicle is left outside our premises before we have taken custody of it, or is left for collection after we have returned custody or control to you, we will not be responsible for events occurring during that period unless the loss or damage results from our breach of contract, negligence or another liability which cannot lawfully be excluded.

15. Quality of work and your statutory rights

We will carry out servicing, repairs and other services with reasonable care and skill in accordance with the Consumer Rights Act 2015.

Parts supplied as part of the service will also be subject to the statutory rights applicable to those goods.

If you believe that work carried out by us is defective, please contact us as soon as reasonably practicable and give us a reasonable opportunity to inspect the vehicle and, where appropriate, rectify the work.

Any manufacturer's, parts or other warranty which applies to particular work is provided in addition to, and does not replace or restrict, your statutory rights.

16. Unsafe vehicles and refusal of work

We reserve the right to refuse to carry out work which we reasonably believe would leave a vehicle unsafe, unroadworthy or otherwise unlawful to use.

We may also refuse requested work where we reasonably believe that carrying it out would cause damage to the vehicle or adversely affect another component or system.

If we become aware of a significant safety-related defect during our work, we will bring it to your attention.

Where you decline to authorise work necessary to make the vehicle safe or roadworthy, you remain responsible for deciding how the vehicle is subsequently transported or used, subject to any obligations imposed on us by law.

17. High voltage and electrified vehicles

Electric, hybrid and other electrified vehicles may contain high voltage electrical systems and battery packs capable of presenting serious electrical, fire and chemical hazards if damaged or defective.

You must tell us before bringing a vehicle onto our premises if you know or reasonably suspect that:

• the high voltage battery or electrical system has been damaged;
• the vehicle has been involved in a collision, significant underbody impact, fire or other incident which may have affected the battery or high voltage system;
• the vehicle has been submerged or significantly exposed to water;
• the battery has overheated or emitted smoke, vapour, unusual smells or unusual noises;
• the vehicle has displayed a warning relating to the high voltage battery or electrical system; or
• there is any other reason to believe that the battery or high voltage system may present an increased safety risk.

Where we reasonably believe that a vehicle may present an electrical, fire, chemical or other safety risk, we may refuse to accept the vehicle onto our premises or require appropriate arrangements to be made for its recovery, inspection or safe storage.

If a potentially hazardous condition becomes apparent after the vehicle has been accepted, we may stop work, isolate or move the vehicle, restrict access to it, or take other reasonable steps necessary to protect people and property.

Where specialist inspection, recovery, transportation, quarantine, storage or other measures are reasonably required because of a pre-existing fault, damage or condition of the vehicle, you may be responsible for the reasonable associated costs. Where practicable, we will explain those costs and obtain your authority before they are incurred.

You must not knowingly withhold information about damage, faults or incidents which may materially affect the safe handling, storage or repair of the vehicle.

Charging and discharging

We may charge or discharge the vehicle's high voltage battery where reasonably necessary for diagnosis, servicing, repair, software updating, testing, vehicle preparation or safe handling.

Unless otherwise agreed, we will use charging equipment and procedures which we reasonably consider appropriate for the vehicle.

Charging or discharging a vehicle may reveal a pre-existing or developing fault in the battery, battery management system, charging system or other vehicle components. The fact that a fault, warning or reduction in performance becomes apparent during or following charging does not of itself mean that the charging caused the fault.

We will not be responsible for a pre-existing fault, latent defect, deterioration or failure which becomes apparent during or after charging unless the loss or damage was caused by our breach of contract, negligence or failure to exercise reasonable care and skill.

If a fault or abnormal condition becomes apparent while charging, we may stop charging and take reasonable steps to make the vehicle safe. We will contact you before carrying out additional chargeable diagnostic or repair work, except where immediate action is reasonably necessary to protect people or property.

Unless specifically agreed as part of the work, acceptance of an electrified vehicle does not constitute an assessment or certification of the condition, capacity, state of health or remaining service life of its high voltage battery.

Nothing in this clause limits our responsibility for loss or damage caused by our own breach of contract, negligence or any other liability which cannot lawfully be excluded.

18. Distance and off-premises contracts

Where you enter into a qualifying contract with us entirely at a distance or away from our business premises, you may have cancellation rights under the Consumer Contracts (Information, Cancellation and Additional Charges) Regulations 2013.

Where those rights apply, we will provide the information required by law.

If you expressly ask us to begin providing the service during an applicable cancellation period and subsequently exercise a right to cancel, you may be required to pay a reasonable amount for the services supplied up to the time of cancellation, as permitted by law.

Where the service has been fully performed during the cancellation period following your express request and acknowledgement, your statutory right to cancel may end once the service has been fully performed.

Nothing in this clause limits any cancellation or other rights which you have under applicable consumer legislation.

19. The Motor Ombudsman

Trident Honda subscribes to The Motor Ombudsman's Service and Repair Code.

The Code sets standards for service and repair businesses and provides consumers with access to an independent Alternative Dispute Resolution service where a dispute cannot be resolved directly with the business.

Further information is available from The Motor Ombudsman.

20. Complaints and Alternative Dispute Resolution

If you are dissatisfied with any aspect of our service, please contact us in the first instance so that we have an opportunity to investigate and resolve your concerns.

You may contact our Managing Director, Richard Roberts, on 01932 874411.

We will investigate complaints fairly and aim to provide a response within a reasonable period.

If we are unable to resolve a consumer complaint, you may be entitled to refer the matter to The Motor Ombudsman for Alternative Dispute Resolution in accordance with its eligibility requirements and procedures.

Use of Alternative Dispute Resolution does not affect any legal rights you may have.