Chimney lining installation - cancellation fee advice

[AfterSomeAdvice1234]

Posting on behalf of a colleague who isn’t on MN.

Getting a chimney lined. She had a survey done for £180 (to be knocked off the final bill if she went ahead with the installation) and everything was signed off and she was booked in. Fast forward to the appointment today and they have arrived and said the chimney is not in good enough condition and so cannot proceed with the installation – and have charged £290 +VAT for the privilege (cancellation fee)! So, she’s now £500+ out of pocket with nothing done. It seems bizarre that the survey signed off the job…and then they said it wasn’t going to work and couldn’t proceed, and have penalised her for it.

Anyone have any advice/insight/had similar experience? TIA.

She needs to check the T&C's of the agreement she signed, noone on MN can help with that.

Sounds like a scam

What's on the small print ?

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What's exactly wrong with the chimney, what's the reason they can't install the liner ?

Has your colleague checked that the chimney lining has been approved by the Local Authority as being “Santasafe”?

Very important at this time of year...

The chimney is Santa Safe but they say the problem is that the chimney is 'in too much of a state of disrepair' for the lining to be installed. Looking through the fine print as we speak. Thanks all

She had a survey done for £180 (to be knocked off the final bill if she went ahead with the installation) and everything was signed off and she was booked in.

^So what was the point of the survey? They should have spotted this before. Sounds like they are trying to rip her off

misspiggy I agree! Trying to get to the bottom of it but it's pretty unreasonable from where I stand..