Consumer Rights - 6 months guitar repair - breach of contract?

norm27

Hello. I took my acoustic guitar in to my local luthiers for bodywork repairs on 30th December 2023 after accepting a quote of £250 to £300. I have used them before on several occasions with no problem. As of today, 6 months later,  the work has still not been done.  I have sent several emails chasing progress and was told on different occasions that 1.  the bodywork repairer has been sacked 2. there are 41 guitars awaiting work 3. work has started but the painting person has gone on holiday. No completion timescale was ever given to me until I said I was going to visit the shop on 25th June 2024 and take the guitar back regardless of whether work had started or not at which time they then said it would be completed by that date. That deadline passed and I am still waiting.

I would normally expect a 4 to 6 weeks wait for this work, possibly less, as at a price of £250 to £300 you are probably only talking about 4 to 5 hours work given labour charges. I am now getting frustrated and losing interest in the whole thing and can't understand why such a small job should take 6 months and more. I feel like walking in to the shop and taking my guitar back regardless of the state it is in and refusing to pay anything on the grounds of 1. extremely poor customer service 2. that although no timescale was agreed  it was implicit within the contract I made with them that the repair would be done within a reasonable timescale 3. the repair has not been done within a reasonable timescale so the contract is void even if they have done some of the work.

I am wondering what the legal position on this is, could anyone advise me on my rights please? Do I just have to sit and wait for who knows how long until they contact me and tell me the work is done?

Thankyou.

Okell

Why don't you just ask them how long it's going to take to fix?

If that's too long for you, tell them you want it back now.  To have had it for 6 months and done nothing is clearly unreasonable even if you didn't agree a timescale originally.

If they tell you a period your happy with, tell them OK but that if the work isn't completed by then you will want it back anyway.  Warn them not to start work on it unless they are sure they can complete it in that time.

One final thought - who are you going to get to fix it if they don't?

sheramber

Did you visit the ship on 25 June as you advised them?

If not, you have showed them you are making idle threats. 

norm27

End of story - guitar finally repaired. Thanks.