|
The FSA will
try to resolve your complaint by mediation. If the dispute
cannot be resolved
in this way the
Financial Ombudsman will begin a formal investigation. The
final decision
will be binding
on your insurer but if you do not agree with it you can take your
insurer to court.
You should
only consider going to court as a last resort. This is
because the amount of compensation you may be awarded will be
reduced if you have not tried other ways of resolving the
problem.
Before taking
legal action, you need to consider whether you have sufficient
evidence.
You will have to
prove your claim is covered by your insurance policy and you may
have to provide expert evidence.
If you are
not insured
The council
are setting up clean up services and you should contact them on
300300 to
find out what is
available in your area.
They will
also arrange to have any damaged bulky household items (e.g. sofas,
fridges) taken away from your property free of charge. You
can obtain quality second hand furniture from charity shops such as
Dove House and Scope.
If you do not
have any money and do not have access to credit you may be able to
obtain a Crisis Loan from the Job Centre Plus office at Britannia
House. The
claim should be made by phoning 0800 0327950. It is still
possible to make a face to face claim at Britannia House if you can
not access the telephone number.
When
replacing items it is worth shopping around especially if you are
buying on credit and remember store cards usually attract a higher
interest rate than credit cards so you’ll end
up paying more
in the long run.
Finding a
reputable builder
The best way
to find a reputable builder is through personal recommendation. You
should
try to get a
number of possible building firms recommended in this way. You
should then:
Prepare a
detailed written description of the work that needs to be
done.
get written
quotations from the firms
ask for proof
that the firms have insurance for public liability
ask to see
examples of work the builder has done recently if
practicable
be wary of
contractors who will only accept cash or who do not charge VAT
(unless
they are exempt
from it)
agree a
payment schedule which keeps the work progressing but ensures that
the client
retains an
amount so that any defects discovered after completion of the work
are put right before final payment is
made
Some builders
may be members of professional trade associations. These
associations often have a code of practice which members must abide
by. They also may have conciliation and/or arbitration schemes to
help resolve problems between member builders and their
clients.
However,
being a member of a trade association is no guarantee that the
person is a good builder. Even when a trade association will
mediate between a member builder and a client, the only sanction
the trade association has is to take away the builder's membership
of the association. You could check with the trade association in
question that the builder
actually is a
member and that her/his membership is up-to-date. | 