VAT not mentioned on telephone quote, but added to final invoice! What are my rights?

49lg

We recently used a company clean out our oil tank at home, The company in question quoted £150 over the phone which we felt was a fair price and in line with other quotes. 

Only a week later on receiving the invoice do we discover an extra £30 of VAT has been added. What are our rights? As a normal consumer surely it should have been brought to our attention that the initial quote didn’t include any VAT or that we would be liable to a VAT charge?

bap98189

Ideally it should have been brought to your attention, but then you didn't ask if VAT was included either. Either way it will come down to your word against theirs. Your best option is to see if they will reduce it as a goodwill gesture. They can only say no.

Ganga

Did you not suspect that a company would be VAT registered and therefore charge you? maybe you should have asked if VAT was included, bit late now best pay it and move on. 

DoaM

Devil's Advocate ... can you be sure that other quotes you received were VAT-inclusive?

unholyangel

Yes they need to tell you:

(f)the total price of the goods or services inclusive of taxes, or where the nature of the goods or services is such that the price cannot reasonably be calculated in advance, the manner in which the price is to be calculated,

As per consumer contracts regulations. 

And also:

(6) Any information that the trader gives the consumer as required by this regulation is to be treated as included as a term of the contract.
(7) A change to any of that information, made before entering into the contract or later, is not effective unless expressly agreed between the consumer and the trader.

49lg

That is interesting regarding the consumer contract regulations. I think I’m going to at least raise it with the supplier as it has left a bad feeling. It doesn’t feel very fair and perhaps they have been a little deceptive. I can’t think of any other service or good that you would get quoted for without vat and for that not to be explicitly mentioned.

Appreciate with hindsight I should have checked...

stragglebod

Assuming you are a consumer and not a business you can assume that the original quote already included VAT. If they're too stupid to know that then that's their problem. Pay them the £150 they quoted and nothing more.

ThumbRemote

bap98189 said:

Ideally it should have been brought to your attention, but then you didn't ask if VAT was included either. Either way it will come down to your word against theirs. Your best option is to see if they will reduce it as a goodwill gesture. They can only say no.

Ganga said:

Did you not suspect that a company would be VAT registered and therefore charge you? maybe you should have asked if VAT was included, bit late now best pay it and move on. 

You are both completely wrong. In the UK prices are to be quoted to consumers including VAT, not as an add-on. 

Penguin_

What odds the supplier says "we said £150 plus VAT on the telephone call"?

stragglebod

Penguin_ said:

What odds the supplier says "we said £150 plus VAT on the telephone call"?

Well, if they do, then the OP says 'No you didn't' and still pays £150 total.

32Battalion

Any contractor will quote ex VAT, just common sense to check.