Poor-quality services and repairs

What is happening

Flat renovations are the most painful case. The crew worked without a contract or on a template from the internet, the deadline has doubled, the tiles are coming away, and when asked to fix it the contractor wants more money. Often it is no longer clear which work was accepted and paid for.

Garages: the car went in for a new belt or bodywork and came back with a fresh fault or paint in the wrong shade. The garage says the problem "was there before" and suggests you sort it out at your own expense.

Everyday services: the dry cleaner ruined a coat, the tailor spoiled the fabric, the repair shop lost a part. The sums may seem small, but the provider is counting on nobody bothering to argue.

What the law says

• Relations with providers of works and services are governed by Chapter III of the Law of the Russian Federation No. 2300-1 of 7 February 1992 "On Consumer Rights Protection" (the Consumer Protection Law) and, for household contracting, by the Civil Code.
• Where work is defective, the customer may demand free rectification, a price reduction, re-performance or reimbursement of the cost of having it put right elsewhere; for material defects, or defects not remedied on time, the customer may terminate and claim a refund and damages (Article 29 of the Consumer Protection Law).
• Defects that could not be spotted on acceptance may be raised within the warranty period or, if none was set, within a reasonable time of up to two years, or five years for work on buildings and structures.
• A missed deadline attracts a penalty of 3 per cent of the price of the work per day of delay, capped at the price of the work itself (Article 28 of the Consumer Protection Law).
• If the provider loses or damages an item handed over for the work, it must pay twice its price plus the customer's costs (Article 35 of the same Law).
• The customer may withdraw from the contract at any time, paying the provider's actual costs incurred; terms restricting that right are void.

What we do

• We go through the contract, estimate, acceptance certificates and correspondence to establish what was agreed, what was done and what was done badly.
• We arrange for the defects to be recorded: a joint inspection with the provider, dated photos and video and, where necessary, a building or vehicle expert report.
• We choose the remedy, whether rectification, a price reduction, the cost of having another firm redo it, or termination, and prepare the claim.
• We calculate the penalty for delay and your losses, including spoiled materials and belongings.
• We negotiate with the provider where it is willing to fix the work or pay, and put any agreement in writing.
• We prepare the lawsuit and represent you in court, including on the court-appointed expert examination.

What we will need from you

• The contract, estimate, annexes and design plan if any; failing a contract, the messages in which the work and price were agreed.
• Proof of payment: receipts, transfers, handwritten acknowledgements.
• Acceptance certificates, job sheets and receipts for items handed over.
• Dated photos and video of the work and of any damaged items.
• Your complaints and the provider's replies, and any recordings of conversations you made.