Limo hire covered under consumer rights act?

Myci85

Wondering if someone can help me understand the above. 

I've read the Martin Lewis guide to consumer rights, and noted that under what is NOT covered it includes accommodation/vehicles etc hired for a set time frame. Does this mean that hiring a party bus from a limo company for an hour is not covered? And if so, any advice on how to go about seeking a refund/partial refund from a company if they ignore/block communication attempts?

Context - pink party bus booked, website shows photos of lovely modern, sleek buses, but on the day a white, clapped out old bus arrived, aircon not working in 30° heat, and issues with sound system and disco lighting. Trying to rectify these issues ate into half hour of the time slot. My feeling is that the company failed to deliver on both satisfactory quality, and also not as described, but now wondering if consumer rights act isn't going to help?

DullGreyGuy

The things you list are excluded from cancellation rights and cooling off periods not broader consumer rights, maybe you misunderstood the article? 

So to directly answer the question, given the vehicle was booked for a specific time then no you wouldnt have automatic cancellation rights but thats a bit of a moot point given the event already happened. You can still claim under the fact that it was a breach of contract or the goods/service didnt match the description etc. 

Myci85

Amazing, thank you! That'll teach me not to skim read articles when in work!

lincroft1710

Although you can sue the limo company for breach of contract, at best you would be looking at the difference in hire price between the 2 vehicles and even if you were successful in court, no guarantee company would pay up.

So for a partial refund, would it be worth the effort?

Alderbank

The Consumer Rights Act certainly applies to services (the whole of chapter 4 is devoted to services) but two things you should be aware of before you take further action:

Many of the companies you see on the internet are actually just booking services. Their part in the process is to put you in touch with the various limo operators, often self-employed, who actually deliver the service. The party you claim against depends on exactly what part of the process went wrong. If you sue the wrong party it is guaranteed to fail.

Did you speed-read the T&Cs of the limo company as thoroughly as you read the MSE article? Limo companies I have looked at all have get-out clauses regarding mechanical breakdowns, etc. That does not necessarily mean you don't have a claim; those contract terms often seem to be so biased that they might be legally classed as unfair contract terms, but they can mean that making a successful claim needs precision and care.