Source · SPSO (Scottish Public Services Ombudsman)

Scottish Government

SPSO (Scottish Public Services Ombudsman) Not Upheld Reference 201602586 Sector Scottish Government Category policy/administration Decided 01 May 2017

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Full decision

Summary

Mrs C had a new heating system installed by a contractor working on behalf of the Scottish Government. Mrs C complained that the contractor required her to lift additional flooring in her home, which was not agreed at the pre-installation survey.

We found that while the need to lift additional flooring was not agreed at the survey, Mrs C signed a document on the day of the survey which stated that it was her responsibility to lift any specialist flooring. The document also stated that while every care would be taken to keep upheaval to a minimum, it might not be possible to carry out the installation without removing some of the flooring. In addition, the document stated that the contractor would not accept responsibility or be held liable for any damage to the flooring arising from the installation.

When the installation team visited, they found that Mrs C needed to lift more flooring than she originally thought. Although Mrs C was not expecting this, the paperwork she signed meant Mrs C was responsible for lifting the flooring should she want the installation to go ahead. We also noted that the contractor offered to replace the flooring in one of Mrs C's rooms as a gesture of goodwill. We did not uphold Mrs C's complaint.

Related reading

View Decision Report 201602586 as a PDF (11.14 KB) Updated: March 13, 2018

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