Price increase after deposit paid

gridley

Hello,

I recently ordered a garden shed/summerhouse and paid a deposit. I have had a message from the company now saying due to the pandemic they are going to have to add £650 to overall price because of increased timber costs. They have offered a refund of my deposit or I can pay the extra and still get my shed…are they allowed to change the price even after I had already paid a deposit? I feel let down as I have already waited a long time for it and started prep work for where the shed will be in the garden.

What are my rights?

[Deleted User]

When do the terms say that the contract is formed? On deposit, full payment, despatch or other?

Unless on deposit or similar, the can change the price as long as they offer a refund, as they have done.

Sandtree

gridley said:

What are my rights?

Depends on 1) where you are in the contractual process and 2) what the contract says.

Its not uncommon, for example, for websites to state that the contract isnt formed until the goods are dispatched and so this allows the vendor to back out of the sale if they discover their stock position was wrong, their supplier has doubled the price or anything else that would make the vendor not want to proceed. 

mattyprice4004

Timber prices have gone rather silly, but personally I think they should honour a deal already done