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PRO INSTALLER NOVEMBER 2015
PRO NEWS
@proinstaller1
Resolving Home
Improvement
Disputes Amicably
Harvey Ellingham, founder of the HIG scheme, talks to Pro Installer about the potential pitfalls of home improvement
disputes and how his company can help to resolve them in a more amicably way, without costing the earth.
There are numerous companies on the market who offer
the homeowner a reliable
way to source respectable
builders and contractors.
Most offer advice and support in order to choose the
right tradesperson for the
job by giving testimonials
and reviews, but most of
these schemes only go so
far!
Home Improvements Guarantee Scheme (HIG) is reported to
be one of the only companies to
offer a built-in dispute resolution
system, ensuring both the tradesperson and the consumer are protected if matters get out of hand
through a dispute.
HIG is designed in such a way so
that both parties agree to dispute
resolution terms right from the
outset, therefore avoiding the
possibility of protracted legal
disputes.
Essentially, if a customer is not
happy with the quality of work
that has been done, they can complain to the HIG who will attempt
to mediate a solution, and where
both parties are entrenched in a
dispute situation, the customer can
insist on a Chartered Surveyor to
assess the work carried out by the
tradesperson and make a binding ruling on whether it is up to
scratch.
The cost of the surveyor is discounted to £170 plus VAT for HIG
scheme members.
But, it works both ways!
If a customer is refusing to pay
for all or part of a job because
they believe it has not been done
professionally enough, the tradesman can call on the mediation
process and, if that fails, can insist
that a surveyor attended the site
and makes an overall ruling. If the
‘We have very few complaints
in general but where we
have had disagreements
they have all been solved
amicably with a bit of friendly,
common-sense mediation’
surveyor finds that the work has
been done to a satisfactory standard, they will find in favour of the
tradesperson and the money they
are owed will be released from
the independent holding account,
where all money for the job is
held.
“We find that common sense
mediation works in almost every
case because very often it is just
a matter of poor communication.”
says Harvey.
“But where that does not work
we have a discounted agreement
with the RICS for surveyors to
come and assess the work to
make a binding ruling. Clearly,
this is a great comfort to both the
tradesperson and the homeowner
because they know that 6