Refund, Cancellation and Remedies Policy

Work-Tops UK & EU Ltd

This Refund, Cancellation and Remedies Policy explains how Work-Tops UK & EU Ltd trading as Work-Tops.com handles cancellation requests, deposits, bespoke orders, defect complaints and approved refunds. It is intended to operate consistently with the Company's Terms and Conditions for the supply, fabrication, delivery and installation of bespoke worktops and surface products.

1. Bespoke products

Most products supplied by Work-Tops.com are bespoke and are manufactured or fabricated to the Customer's measurements, material choice, layout and design requirements. This commonly includes worktops, splashbacks, upstands, custom cut pieces and other fabricated stone or surface products.

Because bespoke products are commonly made to the Customer's exact specification, they cannot usually be cancelled for a full refund once fabrication has commenced, except where required by law or where the Goods are proven to be faulty or not supplied in accordance with the Contract.

2. Deposits and reservation fees

Deposits, templating fees and slab reservation fees are used to secure materials, schedule production, allocate factory and installation capacity, and cover administration, supplier commitments, design preparation and project handling costs.

Accordingly:

• Templating fees become non-refundable once the templating appointment has been booked or completed;
• Slab reservation fees may be non-refundable once materials have been reserved or allocated to the Customer's Order;
• Deposits may be retained in whole or in part to cover reasonable costs already incurred or committed, including administration, design work, supplier charges, material reservations, transport bookings and project preparation.

3. Customer cancellation

If the Customer wishes to cancel an Order, the Customer must notify the Company in writing as soon as possible. The Company will review the stage the Order has reached and assess what costs have already been incurred or committed.

If substantial work has not yet started, the Company may refund any eligible amount after deducting reasonable costs already incurred. If the Order has progressed to any stage including templating, design preparation, slab reservation, material ordering, fabrication or transport arrangements, the Customer may remain liable for the costs incurred up to the cancellation date.

For the avoidance of doubt, refunds will not normally be due solely because of a change of mind, loss of confidence, dissatisfaction with natural stone variation, dissatisfaction with sample-to-slab differences, aesthetic preferences where the Goods substantially match the approved specification, or delays caused by the Customer, site conditions or third parties.

4. Consumer cancellation rights

Where the Customer is a Consumer and UK law gives a cancellation right, the Company will honour that right in accordance with applicable law. Any legally required cancellation information will be provided with or before the order confirmation where required.

However, Goods made to the Customer's specification or clearly personalised, including templated and fabricated worktops, splashbacks, upstands and cut pieces, are generally exempt from the standard cooling-off cancellation regime to the extent permitted by law.

Nothing in this Policy removes or limits any statutory rights a Consumer may have.

5. Company cancellation

If the Company is unable to fulfil an Order for reasons within its control and cannot offer a suitable alternative material, product or revised installation date within a reasonable time, the Company will refund payments made for Goods or Services not supplied.

The Company may also suspend, postpone or cancel performance where payment is overdue, materials are unavailable, the Site is unsafe or unready, the Customer has supplied materially inaccurate information, required permissions are missing, or circumstances outside the Company's reasonable control prevent performance. In those cases, any refund entitlement will be assessed in accordance with the Contract and the law.

6. Damaged, defective or incomplete products

Customers should inspect the Goods and Services as soon as reasonably possible following delivery or installation and should notify the Company in writing of any visible damage, defect, shortage, incomplete item or installation concern as soon as reasonably possible and, in any event, within 7 calendar days.

Where a complaint is raised, the Company must be given a reasonable opportunity to inspect, investigate and, where appropriate, repair, replace, re-perform the Services, offer a price reduction, refund the affected part of the Order, or provide another lawful and proportionate remedy.

The Customer must not arrange repair, removal, replacement or alteration by a third party without the Company's prior written approval, except in a genuine emergency where delay would likely cause further material loss. Unauthorized third-party costs may not be reimbursed.

7. What is not normally refundable

The following do not normally give rise to a refund where the Goods remain structurally sound, fit for purpose and substantially in accordance with the approved specification:

• Natural or expected material variation, including colour, veining, fissures, pitting, resin fills, texture and pattern movement;
• Sample-to-slab or image-to-slab variation;
• Visible joints, mitres, minor edge chipping at cut-outs, reasonable tolerances, silicone appearance or minor wall and site-related gaps within normal industry tolerance;
• Issues caused by defective cabinetry, uneven walls or floors, inadequate support, structural movement, inaccurate appliance information, customer-supplied items or later third-party work;
• Damage arising from misuse, impact, heat, poor cleaning, inadequate resealing, harsh chemicals or failure to follow care instructions.

Nothing in this section affects any remedy that cannot lawfully be excluded or limited.

8. Refund processing

Where the Company agrees that a refund is due, it will normally be made using the original payment method wherever reasonably possible. If that is not practicable, the Company may agree another lawful refund method with the Customer.

Approved refunds are normally processed within 5 to 10 business days after the refund decision has been made, although the time taken for funds to appear in the Customer's account will depend on the payment provider, bank or card issuer. This processing timeframe is an administrative target and not a guaranteed deadline.

9. How to request a refund or raise a complaint

To request a refund or report a problem, the Customer should contact the Company in writing and provide, where available:

• The order or quotation number;
• The Customer's full contact details;
• A clear description of the issue;
• Photographs or videos showing the relevant concern;
• Any supporting documents or information that may assist the investigation.

The Company will acknowledge the request, review the available information and respond within a reasonable period. Where further inspection is needed, the Company may arrange a site visit, request additional photographs or ask for access to the Goods.

10. Statutory rights

This Policy does not limit or exclude any rights the Customer may have under applicable UK consumer protection law. If there is any inconsistency between this Policy and any mandatory legal right, the mandatory legal right will prevail.

11. Relationship with Terms and Conditions

This Policy should be read together with the Company's Terms and Conditions, quotation, order confirmation, approved template, drawings and payment records. Those documents together set out the agreed contractual scope, cancellation position, payment obligations and remedies framework for each Order.

Where there is any inconsistency between this Policy and the signed or accepted Contract documents, the Terms and Conditions and the specific quotation or order confirmation shall prevail, subject always to any mandatory statutory rights.