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Terms and Conditions

BEAR Plumbing, Heating and Technical offers services including all aspects of general plumbing and gas heating appliances. Please check our website or contact our customer services team before booking for all information.

All the Operatives at BEAR Plumbing, Heating and Technical are gas safety accredited, authorised and regulated to carry out all our services relating to general plumbing, boiler repair, installation and related services, gas repair, installation and other related services.

This version of our terms and conditions was updated as of October 2023 and may have been amended since last viewed.

Definitions

  • The Company shall mean BEAR Plumbing, Heating and Technical.
  • The Customer shall mean the person or organisation for whom the Company agrees to carry out works.
  • The Operative shall mean the representative appointed by the Company to carry out such works.

Terms

  1. Upon booking a service, the Company will place a pre-authorised charge on the Customer’s card amounting to one hour’s minimum labour charge or a Booking Fee. A contract is formed between the Customer and the Company for the selected service. The balance on completing the service shall be subtracted from this charge. If the Customer refuses further services beyond the first hour, or if the Operative is not given access to the premises, the Company reserves the right to charge the Booking Fee as a minimum charge.
  2. The Company will charge a Booking Fee, and further charges are always possible. All booked and accepted jobs are subject to a Booking Fee. If an Operative carries out services exceeding the first hour, subsequent labour charges are calculated per half an hour. Parking and congestion fees are also payable. Operatives cannot and will not accept cash.
  3. The Company requires more than 24 hours notice to cancel or reschedule any booking. A charge will be incurred if a booking is cancelled or rescheduled with less than 24 hours notice. The Booking Fee is fully refundable provided the Customer cancels more than 24 hours before the scheduled time. For emergency or same day bookings, this fee cannot be refunded.
  4. The Company reserves the right to charge a one hour Booking Fee if unable to enter the premises for any reason whatsoever. If the Customer chooses to rebook, they must pay a further Booking Fee.
  5. All additional parts, materials or equipment hires will be subject to separate charges. All specialist parts or materials are subject to the charge as quoted. The Company does not price match.
  6. The Company will only charge travel costs incurred by their Operatives if the Customer requests them to visit a supplier on their behalf on the same day.
  7. The Company will request a minimum upfront deposit of 50 percent for any parts, products or materials subject to a specialist order. This must be paid before ordering. Once paid in full, any specialist parts or materials belong to the Customer.
  8. Charges become payable as soon as the service is deemed completed by the Company. The Company accepts payment via bank transfer or all major debit cards.
  9. Urgent or breakdown services are calculated hourly at a premium rate, subject to availability.
  10. New installations may come with a 12 month parts and labour warranty. This warranty does not apply to parts not supplied by the Company. Any warranty is discretionary and may be revoked if the Customer has not followed Operative advice. If any third parties work on top of the Company’s existing work, any warranty automatically ceases.
  11. The Company will usually provide an estimation or fixed fee quotation in writing. This can be changed or withdrawn at any time before the services are completed. Estimations are based on details provided by the Customer and cannot account for unanticipated issues identified on site.
  12. The Company shall not be bound by any estimates given orally or in which manifest errors occur.
  13. All estimations and fixed fee quotations expire after 28 days.
  14. The Company reserves the right to increase the estimation before Operatives carry out any services. If dissatisfied with any cost increase, the Customer may cancel the contract before services commence.
  15. The Company requests 50 percent payment in advance upon booking any additional works. If works are scheduled to commence seven days or less after initial booking, the Company may hold up to 100 percent of funds.
  16. The Customer confirms they are the owner or lawful occupier of the premises, or that they have authority to request services. The Customer indemnifies the Company against all expenses arising from carrying out services at their request.
  17. The Company cannot always accept requests for services and reserves the right to decline due to supply shortages, lack of Operative availability, or other reasons beyond reasonable control.
  18. The Customer must ensure adequate steps are taken to protect personal possessions and furnishings before the Company carries out any services. Possessions are left at the Customer’s own risk.
  19. The Company will not clean or dispose of any waste after providing any service, including old parts or packaging.
  20. If the Customer requests to unclog a blockage, the Company cannot guarantee any results. The service is the Company’s attempt at unclogging. The Company cannot guarantee that blockages will not recur.
  21. The Company cannot guarantee any effects in cleaning frozen pipes or drainage system blockages. All such work is carried out at the Customer’s own risk.
  22. If the Customer requests Operatives to stop working part way through a service, they shall be liable for the service carried out until that point.
  23. If the Customer believes the service has not been carried out with reasonable care and skill, they agree to allow the Company the opportunity to investigate in person first.
  24. The Company cannot be held liable for any damage to property during investigative work. This includes removal of bathroom suites, panels, tiles, floor coverings, and pipework access through walls.
  25. The Customer may be charged if they do not give the Company all the information required to complete the service.
  26. If the Customer does not pay for a service carried out with reasonable care and skill, the Company has the right to take legal action.
  27. The Company reserves the right to uninstall parts or goods the Customer has not paid for.
  28. Services are subject to VAT at the prevailing rate.
  29. Interest will be charged on late payments at 8 percent above the Bank of England base rate, accruing daily.
  30. The Company cannot be held responsible for delays outside of its control, such as traffic or third party failures.
  31. The Customer has the legal right to change their mind. For most services purchased via telephone or on the doorstep, the Customer has 14 days after order confirmation. However, the Customer will lose the right to cancel once the service is completed, and if cancelling a same day service, no refund is available.
  32. To cancel, with at least 24 hours notice, the Customer must contact the Customer Service Team. Refunds will be made within 14 days by the same payment method.
  33. If the Customer believes something is wrong with the service, they must contact the Customer Service Team with photographic evidence. The Company will investigate and attempt to rectify the situation.
  34. The Company reserves the right to change a service provided to reflect changes in relevant laws and regulatory requirements.
  35. The Company reserves the right to suspend a supply of services to deal with technical problems, make minor technical changes, or update the service to reflect changes in relevant laws.
  36. The Company has the right to withdraw services and will advise as soon as possible if they choose to do so. They will refund any sums paid in advance for services not provided.
  37. The Company has the right to end the contract if the Customer does not make payment owed within seven days of a reminder, or does not provide information, cooperation, or access required.
  38. The Company will not compensate for losses that were unforeseeable, caused by events outside the Company’s control, could have been avoided by the Customer, or are business losses.
  39. The Company supplies services for domestic or private use only. If used for commercial purposes, the Company’s liability will be limited as stipulated.
  40. For business customers, the Company shall not be liable for any loss of profit or any indirect or consequential loss. Total liability is limited to the total sums paid by the Customer under the relevant contract. Nothing limits liability for death or personal injury caused by negligence, fraud, or other matters where it would be unlawful to exclude liability.
  41. The Company will use the Customer’s personal data as set out in the Privacy Notice.
  42. Dispute resolution options include contacting the Customer Service Team per the Complaints Policy, sending complaints with photographic evidence to info@bearphat.co.uk (the Company will endeavour to reply within ten working days), sending complaints by post, or going to court. These terms are governed by English law.
  43. Complaints relating to damage caused by Operatives must be reported to the Company immediately with a written description and photographic evidence. The Company must be allowed to investigate in person.
  44. The Company will not hold responsibility for damage to a part of premises where the damage is, in whole or in part, a consequence of a pre-existing defect or weakness in that part of the property.

Your fundamental legal rights (Consumer Rights Act 2015)

  • You can ask us to repeat or fix a service if it is not carried out with reasonable care and skill, or get some money back if it cannot be fixed.
  • If a price has not been agreed upfront, what you are asked to pay must be reasonable.
  • If a time has not been agreed upfront, it must be carried out within a reasonable time.

Other essential terms

  • The Company can transfer the contract to a different organisation. The Customer may end the contract within seven days of notification if unhappy.
  • Nobody else has any rights under this contract.
  • If a court invalidates some of these terms, the rest will still apply.
  • If the Company delays enforcing this contract, it can still enforce it later.
  • Product images on this site are for illustrative purposes only.
  • The Company owns or licenses all intellectual property rights on this site.
  • Content on the site is for general information only and should not be relied upon as advice.

Contact

Email: info@bearphat.co.uk
Post: 32 Clifton Road, Shefford, Bedfordshire, SG17 5AE
Telephone: 07944 825134