Published 31 October 2026
Quick answer: if a firm sold to you in your home and the information it gave you before you agreed did not mention a charge, or say that extra charges might be payable, the law says you do not have to pay that charge. If the work was never given a price, you owe a reasonable price and no more. Challenge the charge in writing, pay what you agreed, and call the consumer helpline for your nation if the firm will not move.
Last checked: 31 October 2026. We read sections 49 to 56 of the Consumer Rights Act 2015 and regulations 5, 10, 12 and 13 and Schedule 2 of the Consumer Contracts (Information, Cancellation and Additional Charges) Regulations 2013 on legislation.gov.uk, and the helpline numbers on GOV.UK’s consumer protection rights page. This is a plain-English summary, not legal advice.
Who this is for: anyone who has had a quote for a stairlift, home lift, ramp, wet room or other fitted equipment and then found a charge on the bill, or was asked for more money part way through the job, that nobody mentioned when the price was agreed. Typical examples are an extra length of rail, taking away old equipment, electrical work, a survey fee, or VAT you were told would not apply.
It sits in our mobility consumer protection centre, alongside the guides to cancelling a contract signed at home and complaining about a mobility company.
Start with the three-document check
Before you phone the firm, put three pieces of paper side by side. We call this the three-document check, and it decides which of the rules below can help you.
- The quote or price information you were given before you agreed. A brochure price, a written quote, or an email setting out the cost.
- The contract, or the firm’s written confirmation of it. For a sale made in your home, the firm must give you a copy of the signed contract or a confirmation on paper (or another durable medium if you agree), and for a service it must reach you before the work starts.
- The bill or request that includes the new charge.
Then ask three questions. Does the charge appear in document 1 or 2? Did either document say that extra charges might be payable? And did anyone from the firm tell you a price, in person or by phone, that you relied on when you said yes? Write down who said it and when.
What the law says
The Consumer Rights Act 2015 applies across the UK; its explanatory notes say Parts 1 to 3 largely extend to the whole of the UK. The 2013 regulations cover contracts made since 13 June 2014.
| Your situation | The rule | Where it is |
|---|---|---|
| You agreed the sale in your home, and the information given to you beforehand did not include the charge or say that extra charges might be payable | You are not to bear that charge | Consumer Contracts Regulations 2013, regulation 10(4), with Schedule 2(g) |
| You agreed the sale online, by phone or by post, and the same is true | You are not to bear that charge | Consumer Contracts Regulations 2013, regulation 13(5), with Schedule 2(g) |
| Someone from the firm told you a price, or wrote it down, and you relied on it | What they said or wrote becomes part of the contract | Consumer Rights Act 2015, section 50 |
| The contract never fixed a price for the work, or said how it would be worked out | You must pay a reasonable price for the service, and no more. What is reasonable is a question of fact | Consumer Rights Act 2015, section 51 |
| The work itself was done badly | You can ask the firm to do it again at its own cost, or ask for a price reduction | Consumer Rights Act 2015, sections 49 and 54 to 56 |
Schedule 2 lists what a firm must tell you before you are bound by a contract made away from its premises. Paragraph (f) is the total price inclusive of taxes. Paragraph (g) is “all additional delivery charges and any other costs”, or, where those cannot reasonably be worked out in advance, the fact that such charges may be payable. Regulation 10(4) is the consequence: if the firm did not give you that information, you are not to bear those charges.
“In your home” has a wider meaning than it sounds. The law also counts a contract you sign at the firm’s showroom, or over the phone, straight after a salesperson approached you in person at home (regulation 5).
When an extra charge may be fair
Not every extra is unlawful. A charge is harder to challenge if:
- the quote said in writing that extra charges might be payable, because something could not be known until the work started, such as wiring behind a wall
- you asked for extra work after the price was agreed, such as a second call point or a different seat
- the charge was in the contract and you missed it
Even then, for any work the contract did not price, section 51 means you owe a reasonable price. Ask for an itemised breakdown and compare it with the ranges in our UK mobility equipment price index, or run the whole quote through the quote checker.
What to do, step by step
- Read anything before you sign it. Fitters often ask for a signature on a completion or satisfaction note. Do not sign anything that accepts the new charge.
- Do the three-document check and photograph each page.
- Write to the firm. Use the letter below. Email is fine. Keep a copy and note the date you sent it.
- Pay the price you agreed. If you decide to pay the disputed amount so the job can be finished, say in writing at the time that you dispute it and are paying only to avoid delay.
- Give the firm 14 days to reply. If it refuses or does not answer, call the consumer helpline for your nation (below). The helplines can pass your complaint to Trading Standards.
- Check for a trade association. If the firm belongs to the British Healthcare Trades Association, its complaints scheme may help. Our complaints guide explains how it works, and what to do if you paid by card or finance.
A letter you can adapt
Delete the paragraph that does not apply. Keep it short and factual.
Dear [name],
Re: [equipment], quote reference [number], dated [date]
Your invoice dated [date] includes a charge of £[amount] for [description]. This charge was not in the written quote or contract you gave me before I agreed to the work, and I was not told that extra charges might be payable.
[If you agreed the sale in your home] The contract was made in my home. Under regulation 10(4) of the Consumer Contracts (Information, Cancellation and Additional Charges) Regulations 2013, I am not to bear charges that were not set out in the information you had to give me before the contract.
[If no price was agreed for this work] The contract did not fix a price for this work. Under section 51 of the Consumer Rights Act 2015, I must pay a reasonable price and no more. Please send an itemised breakdown showing how the charge was worked out.
Please confirm within 14 days that you will remove the charge, or send the breakdown. I [have paid / will pay] the agreed price of £[amount].
Yours sincerely,
[your name and address]
Questions to ask before you sign the next quote
| Possible extra | What to ask |
|---|---|
| Extra rail, a curve or an extended track | Is the price based on a measured survey of my stairs, and will it change if the rail is longer? |
| Taking away old equipment | Is removal and disposal of the old stairlift, bath or chair included? |
| Electrical work | Do I need a new socket or spur, and who fits it at what price? |
| Survey or design fee | Is there a charge for the survey, and is it taken off the price if I go ahead? |
| VAT | Is the price shown with VAT, without it, or zero-rated, and what form do I sign for VAT relief? |
| Access, parking or out-of-hours work | Is anything extra charged for parking, steps, scaffolding or evening work? |
Ask for the answers in writing as part of the quote. If you are comparing firms, our quote comparison tool flags lines that one quote includes and another leaves out. For VAT, see who can buy without paying VAT.
Free helplines
| Nation | Helpline | Phone |
|---|---|---|
| England and Wales | Citizens Advice consumer helpline | 0808 223 1133 (Welsh language: 0808 223 1144) |
| Scotland | Advice Direct Scotland | 0808 164 6000 |
| Northern Ireland | Consumerline | 0300 123 6262 |
Numbers from GOV.UK’s consumer protection rights page, read 31 October 2026.
Frequently asked questions
The fitter says the job is bigger than expected. Do I have to pay more?
Not automatically. If the contract fixed a price for the work, a higher price is a change to the contract. Ask for the change and the reason in writing, and decide whether to agree before any extra work is done.
I signed the contract in a showroom. Does the rule about home sales apply?
Usually not, unless you signed straight after a salesperson approached you in person at home. For a showroom sale, what the firm told you or wrote down about the price is still part of the contract under section 50 of the Consumer Rights Act 2015.
My quote said prices may vary. Can I still challenge the charge?
That wording may mean the firm did tell you extra charges might be payable, so regulation 10(4) may not help. For any work the contract did not price, you still owe only a reasonable price, and you can ask how the charge was worked out.
Can a firm add VAT on top of the price it quoted me?
The information a firm gives before you agree must include the total price inclusive of taxes. If you are eligible for VAT relief, the firm should explain the form you sign, and the quoted price should say which basis it uses.
Can I still cancel instead?
Possibly. A contract agreed in your home usually comes with 14 days to cancel. Our cancellation guide explains when the 14 days start and the exception for equipment made to measure.
Sources
- Consumer Rights Act 2015, Part 1, Chapter 4 (services): legislation.gov.uk
- Consumer Rights Act 2015, explanatory notes on extent: legislation.gov.uk
- Consumer Contracts Regulations 2013, regulation 10: legislation.gov.uk
- Consumer Contracts Regulations 2013, regulation 13: legislation.gov.uk
- Consumer Contracts Regulations 2013, Schedule 2: legislation.gov.uk
- Consumer Contracts Regulations 2013, regulations 5 and 12: regulation 5, regulation 12
- GOV.UK, consumer rights: gov.uk
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 or fit equipment, and no company paid to appear in or review this guide. Spotted an error? Email hello@reviewmobility.co.uk.
Published 31 October 2026