This is the Vision Skylights complaints procedure. It explains how to tell us something has gone wrong with a survey, a quote, a rooflight or skylight installation or a replacement, what happens after you do, how long each step takes and where you can go if we still cannot agree.
How to raise a complaint
Email us at info@visionskylightscambridge.co.uk with a short description of the problem and we will take it from there.
We have no public premises and publish no postal address, so email is the one route that reaches us reliably and gives both of us a written record. You can also message us on WhatsApp to let us know a complaint is coming, but please follow it with an email so the details are in one place. It helps if your email includes:
- your name, the address where the work was done and the best way to reach you;
- the date of the survey or installation, and your quote reference if you have one;
- what went wrong, when you first noticed it and what you would like us to do;
- photos, if the concern is something you can see, such as condensation, a mark on the lining or a gap at the upstand.
You do not need to use any particular wording or form. If you are unsure whether something is a complaint or a question, send it anyway and we will treat it seriously either way.
What happens after you contact us
We acknowledge every complaint in writing within 5 working days, and we aim to give you a full written response within 20 working days of receiving it.
The acknowledgement confirms that we have your complaint, restates what we understand the problem to be and names the person handling it. If we have misunderstood anything, reply and tell us, because the rest of the process depends on getting the starting point right.
Many concerns about an installed rooflight need a visit before anyone can say what is causing them. Condensation on a new flat roof rooflight, for example, may come from the room rather than the glazing, while a draught around a roof window may point to the lining or the flashing. Where a visit is needed, we arrange it at a time that suits you and tell you what we found.
Our full response sets out what we looked at, what we concluded and what we propose to do about it, with a timescale for any work. If the matter is complex and 20 working days is not enough, we write to you before that date to explain why and to give you a new date.
The stages
The procedure has two internal stages, so that a second person looks at anything we could not settle the first time.
| Stage | What happens | Timescale |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Response | We investigate and reply in writing | Acknowledged in 5 working days, answered in 20 |
| 2. Review | A senior person reviews the complaint afresh | Answered within 20 working days of your request |
| 3. Outside help | Independent dispute resolution or court | Set by the scheme or court |
If you are not happy with our stage 1 response, reply within 8 weeks and ask for a review. The reviewer reads the whole file, including your original email, any photos and notes from a visit, and may come out again if that would help. The stage 2 response is our final position, and it will say so clearly in writing.
If we still cannot agree
If our final response does not settle things, you can take the complaint outside the company, and our final letter will explain how.
Alternative dispute resolution (ADR) uses an independent body to look at a disagreement between a consumer and a business without going to court. Where we cannot resolve a complaint, the law requires us to tell you the name and website of a suitable ADR provider and to say whether we agree to use it. Our final response will do both.
You can also get free, impartial advice from the Citizens Advice consumer service, which can explain your rights under the Consumer Rights Act 2015, including the right to have a service carried out with reasonable care and skill.
As a last step, a claim can be made through the county court. In England, most disputes over a home improvement job of this kind are heard on the small claims track, which is designed to be used without a solicitor, and claims can be started online through the government's Money Claim Online service. It is usually sensible to try the steps above first, because a court will expect both sides to have tried to settle the matter.
How we handle your information
We use the details you send only to investigate and respond to your complaint, and to put right anything we agree needs putting right.
We keep a record of each complaint and how it was resolved, so that we can learn from it and show what was done if the question comes up again. How long we keep it, and your rights over that information, are set out in our privacy policy. Nothing you tell us in a complaint is shared outside the business, except with an ADR provider or a court if you choose to take the matter further, or with a product manufacturer if the problem turns out to be a fault in the unit itself and you agree to us raising it with them.
Before you book, or if you are unsure
Plenty of problems are easier to prevent than to fix, so we try to be clear from the start about what each job involves.
Every written quote comes with a light plan that sets out the position, size, glass and shading for each opening and the reason for each choice. If something in yours is unclear, ask before work begins. Our terms and conditions explain quotes, deposits and your right to cancel, the costs guide explains what drives the price of a rooflight or skylight, and how we plan the light shows the thinking behind the plan. You can read more about the firm on the about page, find general questions answered in rooflight and skylight questions answered, or contact us at any time.
