Published 22 October 2026
Quick answer: put your complaint in writing to the company first, say what went wrong and what you want, and give it a deadline. If that fails, call the consumer helpline for your nation, which can pass the case to Trading Standards. If the firm belongs to the British Healthcare Trades Association, its free complaints scheme can help. Finance problems go to the Financial Ombudsman; council and NHS equipment have their own routes.
Last checked: 22 October 2026. We read the Consumer Rights Act 2015 on legislation.gov.uk, the BHTA Code of Practice (2024 update), and the complaint pages of GOV.UK, the Financial Ombudsman Service, the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman and the Public Service Ombudsman. This is a plain-English summary, not legal advice.
Who this is for: anyone with a problem after buying, renting or having equipment fitted, such as a stairlift that keeps breaking down, a scooter sold with the wrong spec, a bathroom adaptation left unfinished or a refund that never arrives. If you only signed recently and want to back out, read our guide to cancelling a mobility contract signed at home first, because cancelling is simpler than complaining.
Contents
- What the law says you are owed
- Step 1: complain to the company in writing
- Step 2: get free advice and involve Trading Standards
- Step 3: if the firm is a BHTA member
- If you paid on finance or by credit card
- Council, NHS and Motability equipment
- Step 4: a court claim
- Leaving a review
- Questions people ask
What the law says you are owed
The Consumer Rights Act 2015 applies to equipment you buy from a business, and to work done for you, across the UK. In short:
| The problem | What you can ask for | Section |
|---|---|---|
| Goods faulty, not as described or not fit for purpose, found within 30 days | A full refund (the short-term right to reject) | Sections 9 to 11, 20 and 22 |
| The same, found after 30 days | A repair or replacement first. If that fails or is not possible, a price reduction or a refund, which can be reduced for the use you have had | Sections 23 and 24 |
| A fault that appears within 6 months of delivery | It is assumed to have been there from the start unless the trader proves otherwise | Section 19(14) |
| Fitting or a service not done with reasonable care and skill | The work done again properly, or a price reduction if that is not possible | Sections 49, 55 and 56 |
| Goods installed badly by the seller or someone acting for them | The goods are treated as not meeting the contract | Section 15 |
For goods that are installed, such as a stairlift, the 30 days do not start until the installation is finished. A manufacturer’s warranty is extra to these rights. It does not replace them, and the seller cannot tell you to deal only with the maker.
Step 1: complain to the company in writing
- Write to the business you paid, not the manufacturer. Use email or recorded post so you have proof of the date.
- Say what you bought, when, the order number, what is wrong and when you noticed it.
- Say what you want: a repair, a replacement, a refund, the work redone or money back for the delay.
- Name the law plainly: “Under the Consumer Rights Act 2015, the goods are not of satisfactory quality.”
- Give a deadline, such as 14 days, for a reply.
- Attach photos, the order form, the receipt and any engineer’s report. Keep copies of everything.
- Ask for the firm’s complaints procedure if it has not given you one.
Keep calls short and follow each one with an email confirming what was said. If you are helping a parent or relative, make sure they agree to you speaking for them, and say so in your first letter.
Step 2: get free advice and involve Trading Standards
If the company does not reply or refuses, call the consumer helpline for your nation. The helplines give free advice and can refer your complaint to local Trading Standards, who may investigate. Trading Standards will not usually get your money back for you, but they act on firms with a pattern of complaints, so reporting helps other buyers too.
| Where you live | Helpline | Phone |
|---|---|---|
| England and Wales | Citizens Advice consumer helpline | 0808 223 1133 (Welsh: 0808 223 1144) |
| Scotland | Advice Direct Scotland | 0808 164 6000 |
| Northern Ireland | Consumerline | 0300 123 6262 |
Also report a firm that cold called you, would not leave your home or pressed you to sign on the day. Those practices are covered in our cancellation guide.
Step 3: if the firm is a BHTA member
Many mobility firms belong to the British Healthcare Trades Association (BHTA). Its Code of Practice is approved under the Chartered Trading Standards Institute’s Consumer Codes Approval Scheme, and members agree to follow it. Check membership on the BHTA website. A logo on a van or a website is not proof.
What the Code (2024 update) says about complaints:
- Members should acknowledge a complaint by phone within 2 working days and in writing within 5 working days.
- Members should try to resolve complaints within one calendar month.
- If the complaint is not resolved within 56 days, the member should tell you that you can take it to the BHTA, which will try to settle it between you.
- If that fails, you can choose an independent arbitrator, whose decision is binding, or go to court instead.
- There is no charge to you at any stage of the BHTA complaints procedure or the arbitration.
The Code also bans cold calling, including by phone, says salespeople must leave immediately when asked, and limits ordinary home visits to about an hour. A member that breaks these rules can be reported to the BHTA as well as to Trading Standards.
If you paid on finance or by credit card
| How you paid | Extra route |
|---|---|
| Credit card, single item with a cash price over ยฃ100 and up to ยฃ30,000 | Claim against the card provider, which is jointly liable with the seller for misrepresentation or breach of contract (Consumer Credit Act 1974, section 75) |
| Finance arranged by the seller | Complain to the finance company as well as the seller |
| Either, if the finance or card company does not resolve it | The Financial Ombudsman Service, which is free |
The Financial Ombudsman expects you to complain to the financial business first. For most complaints the business has up to 8 weeks to respond, and you then have 6 months from its final response to go to the ombudsman.
Council, NHS and Motability equipment
| Equipment came from | Complain first to | If still unhappy |
|---|---|---|
| The council (community equipment, adaptations, Disabled Facilities Grant) | The council’s complaints procedure, all stages | Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman (England), free, usually within 12 months of knowing about the problem |
| An NHS wheelchair service | The NHS service’s own complaints procedure | Public Service Ombudsman (England): 0345 015 4033 |
| The Motability Scheme | The dealer or service provider involved, then Motability Operations customer services on 0300 456 4566 | Ask Motability Operations for its final response and what to do next |
In Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, council and NHS complaints go to the Public Services Ombudsman for Wales, the Scottish Public Services Ombudsman or the Northern Ireland Public Services Ombudsman. For how the two NHS and council routes differ, see NHS wheelchair service vs council community equipment.
Step 4: a court claim
If nothing else works, you can claim the money in court. In England and Wales you can start a claim online through GOV.UK. Before you do, send a final letter saying you will go to court if the matter is not settled by a set date, because courts expect both sides to have tried to settle. GOV.UK also suggests mediation, which can be quicker and cheaper. Scotland and Northern Ireland have separate processes. Speak to the consumer helpline or a solicitor first if a large sum is involved.
Leaving a review
You can leave an honest review of the company on its Review Mobility profile, whether or not the complaint is settled. Stick to what happened and when, and leave out order numbers, addresses and phone numbers. Companies cannot pay us to remove a review. How we check reviews is set out in our review policy.
Before you buy again, use our step-by-step company check and look the firm up in our A to Z of companies.
Questions people ask
My stairlift keeps breaking down. Can I get my money back?
Within 30 days of installation finishing, you can reject it and ask for a refund. After that, the seller gets one chance to repair or replace it. If the repair fails, you can ask for a price reduction or a refund, less an amount for the use you have had.
The company says to contact the manufacturer. Do I have to?
No. Your contract is with the business that sold you the equipment, and your Consumer Rights Act claim is against them.
The fault appeared after 5 months. Do I have to prove it was there from the start?
No. For faults that appear within 6 months of delivery, the law assumes they were there at delivery unless the trader proves otherwise.
How long do I have to make a claim?
In England and Wales a court claim for breach of contract can usually be brought up to 6 years after the breach, and in Scotland up to 5 years. Complaint schemes have shorter limits, such as 12 months for the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman and 6 months after a final response for the Financial Ombudsman, so do not wait.
Can I complain on behalf of my mum or dad?
Yes, with their permission. Say in your first letter that you are acting for them and that they agree. If they cannot give permission, a lasting power of attorney may be needed.
Sources
All read on 22 October 2026.
- Consumer Rights Act 2015, sections 9 to 24 and 49 to 56: legislation.gov.uk
- Limitation Act 1980, section 5 (England and Wales): legislation.gov.uk; Prescription and Limitation (Scotland) Act 1973, section 6: legislation.gov.uk
- Consumer Credit Act 1974, section 75: legislation.gov.uk
- British Healthcare Trades Association, Code of Practice for the Healthcare and Assistive Technology Products and Services Industry, 2024 update: Chartered Trading Standards Institute
- Consumer helplines: GOV.UK, consumer protection rights
- Court claims: GOV.UK, make a court claim for money
- Financial Ombudsman Service: how to complain
- Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman: make a complaint
- Public Service Ombudsman: making a complaint
- Motability Operations: contact page
This guide explains the law in general terms and is not legal advice. If your case involves a large sum or a dispute you cannot settle, speak to the consumer helpline for your nation or a solicitor. Review Mobility is an independent directory. We do not sell equipment, and no company paid to appear in or review this guide. Spotted an error? Email hello@reviewmobility.co.uk.
Published 22 October 2026