Terms and conditions

George Lane Trading As Tarka Boilers

1. About Us

1.1 These Terms and Conditions apply to all services provided by George Lane, a sole trader, trading as Tarka Boilers.

• Business Name: Tarka Boilers
• Owner: George Lane
• Address: 10 Tannery Close, South Molton, Devon, EX36 4FB
• Email: hello@tarkaboilers.co.uk
• Telephone: 01271 444410
• Gas Safe Registration: 515374
• VAT Registration Number: GB438112611

2. Definitions

In these Terms and Conditions:

• "We", "Us", "Our" or "the Company" refers to George Lane Trading As Tarka Boilers.
• "You", "Your" or "the Customer" refers to any individual or entity engaging us for services.
• "Engineer" refers to the representative assigned to perform the services.
• "Services" refers to plumbing, heating and gas work that we agree to undertake, including boiler and central-heating servicing and repairs, work on unvented hot-water cylinders, controls, pumps, radiators and valves.
• "Distance Contract" means a contract concluded online, by telephone, or by any other means where you and we are not physically present together.
• "On-Premises Contract" means a contract concluded when you and we are physically present together, such as when an Engineer visits your property.

3. Scope of Services

3.1 We provide agreed plumbing, heating and gas services, including mains-gas boiler servicing and repairs, central-heating repairs, landlord gas safety checks, work on unvented hot-water cylinders, controls, pumps, radiators and valves. We do not currently offer oil or LPG boiler work, including servicing, repairs, safety checks or controls, or boiler installations. All gas work is carried out by Gas Safe registered engineers.

4. Charges and Payment Terms

4.1 Hourly Rate Work: Where services are not provided at a fixed price, they are billed on an hourly basis at our prevailing rates. Our current hourly rates will be confirmed at the time of booking.

4.2 Fixed-Price Repair: Repairs to a mains-gas boiler, central-heating system or unvented hot-water cylinder are charged at a fixed labour price of £220 including VAT. The fixed price covers all the labour needed to get the reported fault working again, however long it takes, including travel and any return visit to fit a part. It covers the fault you report when you book; a new, unrelated fault is a separate repair. It applies to domestic properties only. It does not apply to a fault found during a service, gas safety check or cylinder service, which we will price at the time for you to agree.

4.2A Parts: Parts are not included in the fixed price. After diagnosing the fault we will give you a fixed price for any parts needed. Nothing is fitted until you approve that price.

4.2B Work Not Included in the Fixed Price: The following work is not covered by the fixed price. If it is needed, we will explain why and give you a separate price, and it will not go ahead unless you agree:

• (a) replacing a split or failed hot-water cylinder, including a failed cylinder coil;
• (b) replacing a boiler's main heat exchanger;
• (c) any repair that requires the boiler to be removed from the wall;
• (d) any repair to a boiler flue;
• (e) replacing radiators;
• (f) power flushing or chemical flushing a heating system;
• (g) fitting a magnetic system filter;
• (h) upgrading controls or thermostats, as opposed to repairing existing ones;
• (i) leaks on pipework hidden under floors or within walls, including lifting floor coverings or boards, opening walls and making good;
• (j) gas supply pipework between the meter and the appliance, and faults caused by low gas pressure or an undersized gas supply pipe;
• (k) rerouting or re-insulating a condensate pipe (thawing a frozen condensate pipe is included);
• (l) faults in the household electrical installation, as opposed to the heating system's own wiring and controls;
• (m) work needed to bring an installation up to current regulations, including where an appliance, flue or ventilation is classified as At Risk or Immediately Dangerous;
• (n) back boilers and warm-air heating units;
• (o) appliances, cylinders or pipework without safe and reasonable access, for example a loft without a fixed ladder, boarding and lighting;
• (p) commercial boilers and systems;
• (q) damage caused by misuse, accident, or work carried out by someone else;
• (r) problems caused by the incoming water supply, such as low mains pressure or flow.

4.2C Sludge: We will repair faults caused by sludge or debris in the heating system. However, the guarantee in clause 11.3 does not cover a repair made necessary by sludge unless the system has been flushed and a magnetic filter fitted, at additional cost. We will tell you this before the repair goes ahead.

4.2D Diagnosis Charge: If, after we have diagnosed the fault, you decide not to go ahead, or the fault cannot sensibly be repaired (for example because parts are no longer available or the repair would not be worth the cost), you only pay £105 including VAT. It covers attendance, travel and diagnosing the fault.

4.3 Other Fixed-Price Work and Quotations: Services with a published fixed price, such as servicing and gas safety checks, are charged at that price. Work without a published price, including fitting a new smart thermostat or radiator and the excluded work in clause 4.2B, is priced and agreed before it begins. Quotations for new items, such as a smart thermostat or a radiator, are free. A visit to look at a fault is a repair under clause 4.2, or the diagnosis charge under clause 4.2D if you do not go ahead.

4.4 Online Bookings: Our online booking system shows our standard prices including VAT and does not take payment at the time of booking. Your statutory cancellation rights are set out in Section 7.

4.5 On-Site Payment: Where payment has not been made in advance, payment in full shall be due upon completion of the service, prior to the Engineer's departure from the site.

4.6 Deposits for Quoted Work: If a deposit is required for separately quoted work, the amount and payment schedule will be stated in the quotation before you accept it.

4.7 Payment in Advance: We reserve the right, at our sole discretion, to require payment in full prior to the commencement of any work. This may apply where, for example, a customer is new to us, the work involves the purchase of specialist materials, or for any other reason we see fit.

4.8 Late Payment: Any overdue payments shall incur interest at the rate of 8% above the Bank of England base rate. If payment remains outstanding for more than 7 days after the due date, we reserve the right to pass the debt to a third-party debt collection agency. You shall be liable for any and all reasonable debt recovery costs incurred by us, including but not limited to collection agency fees, court costs, and legal fees.

4.9 All prices quoted are inclusive of VAT at the prevailing rate.

4.10 Travel: Travel to any address in our service area (North Devon, Exeter, Tiverton and Taunton) is included in the price. We do not add a travel charge.

5. Pre-Contract Information for Online Bookings

5.1 Before you complete an online booking, we will provide you with the following information:

• A description of the service you are booking
• The total price including VAT (or how it will be calculated if not fixed)
• Our identity, address, and contact details
• Information about your right to cancel and how to exercise it
• The arrangements for payment and performance of the service
• Our complaints handling procedure

6. Contract Formation

6.1 For online and telephone bookings, a binding contract is formed when we send you a booking confirmation by email.

6.2 For on-premises bookings (agreed during an Engineer's visit), a binding contract is formed when we agree the work and price with you verbally or in writing.

6.3 We will confirm all distance contracts on a durable medium (email) including the information set out in Section 5 and details of your cancellation rights.

7. Your Right to Cancel (Distance Contracts)

This section applies to contracts made online, by telephone, or by other distance means. It does not apply to contracts made in person at your property or to urgent repair call-outs that you specifically request.

7.1 Cancellation Period: You have the right to cancel a distance contract within 14 days from the date the contract is made, without giving any reason.

7.2 How to Cancel: To exercise your right to cancel, you must inform us of your decision by a clear statement. You may use the Model Cancellation Form at Schedule 1, but it is not obligatory. You can contact us by:

• Email: hello@tarkaboilers.co.uk
• Post: 10 Tannery Close, South Molton, Devon, EX36 4FB
• Telephone: 01271 444410

7.3 Cancellation Deadline: To meet the cancellation deadline, it is sufficient for you to send your communication concerning your exercise of the right to cancel before the 14-day cancellation period has expired.

7.4 Effects of Cancellation: If you cancel, we will reimburse all payments received from you without undue delay and no later than 14 days from the day on which we are informed of your decision to cancel. We will make the reimbursement using the same means of payment you used for the initial transaction, unless you expressly agree otherwise. You will not incur any fees as a result of the reimbursement.

7.5 Services Starting Within the Cancellation Period: If you wish us to begin work before the end of the 14-day cancellation period, you must make an express request to do so. By making this request, you acknowledge that:

• If you cancel after work has begun, you will be required to pay us an amount proportionate to what has been performed until you communicated your cancellation, compared to the full coverage of the contract;
• If the service has been fully performed before you exercise your right to cancel, you will lose your right to cancel.

7.6 Urgent Repairs Exception: There is no right to cancel where you specifically request an urgent call-out for repairs or maintenance. This exception only applies where you have contacted us requesting urgent assistance for an immediate problem.

7.7 The Model Cancellation Form is set out at Schedule 1 to these Terms and Conditions.

8. Cancellations and Rescheduling

This section applies in addition to (not instead of) your statutory cancellation rights under Section 7.

8.1 Short-Notice Cancellations: If you cancel a booking with less than 24 hours' notice (other than by exercising your statutory right to cancel under Section 7), no refund shall be due for any prepayments made. This is because we will have reserved time in our schedule for your appointment.

8.2 Repeated Rescheduling: Customers who reschedule the same booking more than three times may be required to pay in advance for future bookings. We also reserve the right to refuse future bookings entirely from customers who repeatedly reschedule, at our sole discretion.

8.3 Missed Appointments: If an Engineer attends an appointment within the scheduled time frame and access to the property is not granted, we will make reasonable attempts to contact you. If access is not provided within 15 minutes of the scheduled arrival time, the appointment will be considered missed, and you will be charged for the service. To rebook, payment for a new appointment will be required.

9. Customer Obligations

9.1 Work Area: You shall ensure that the work area is clear and accessible before the Engineer arrives. We reserve the right to charge additional fees should the Engineer need to clear the area in order to perform the Services. We accept no responsibility or liability for any damage to personal belongings, furniture, fixtures, or any other items left within the work area during the provision of Services. It is your responsibility to remove all items from the immediate work area prior to work commencing.

9.2 Pets and Children: For health and safety reasons, you shall keep pets and children away from the work area at all times during the provision of the Services.

10. Our Obligations and Your Consumer Rights

10.1 We are responsible for supplying services that meet your consumer rights under the Consumer Rights Act 2015. This means our services will be performed with reasonable care and skill.

10.2 Where we supply goods as part of a service, those goods will be of satisfactory quality, fit for purpose, and as described.

10.3 If you have any concerns that we have not met our legal obligations, please contact us at hello@tarkaboilers.co.uk.

11. Liability and Warranty

11.1 Existing Systems: We shall not be liable for any issues arising from the connection of new equipment to pre-existing systems. Our liability extends only to the newly installed fittings and equipment.

11.2 Boiler and Cylinder Servicing: We do not accept liability for any faults that may develop during or after the service of boilers and unvented cylinders, as servicing may reveal pre-existing issues.

11.3 Repair Guarantee: Parts we fit are guaranteed for 12 months from the date of fitting, including the labour to put them right, whatever the age of the boiler or system. The guarantee covers the parts we fit and our workmanship. It does not cover other parts of the boiler or heating system, or a repair excluded by clause 4.2C. This does not affect your statutory rights.

11.4 Sludge and Scale: A later repair made necessary by sludge or scale in the system is excluded from the guarantee in clause 11.3 (see clause 4.2C), unless it results from work for which we are legally responsible.

11.5 Warranty Limitations: Any warranties provided shall be void if the goods or services provided by us are tampered with, repaired, or modified by any party other than us.

11.6 Nothing in these Terms and Conditions shall limit or exclude our liability for death or personal injury caused by our negligence, fraud or fraudulent misrepresentation, or any other liability that cannot be limited or excluded by law.

12. Waste Disposal

12.1 Quoted Work: Where waste disposal is needed, the quotation will state whether it is included in the agreed price.

12.2 Repair and Service Jobs: Disposal of waste materials, including packaging and old parts, shall be your responsibility unless otherwise agreed.

13. Access and Parking

13.1 You shall ensure suitable access to the property and parking arrangements within 50 metres of the property for the Engineer's vehicle. Any additional costs incurred due to restricted access or parking constraints shall be chargeable to you.

13.2 Parking Liability: It is your responsibility to ensure that legal parking is available for our Engineer's vehicle for the duration of the appointment. Where you are unable to provide legal parking and our Engineer is required to park without a valid permit or in a restricted area in order to carry out the Services, you accept full liability for any parking fines, penalty charge notices, or other parking-related costs incurred by us whilst carrying out work at your property. We will not be held responsible for any delays caused by inadequate parking arrangements.

14. Health and Safety

14.1 We will comply with applicable health and safety legislation and industry best practices.

14.2 You shall provide a safe environment for the Engineer to work and inform us of any hazards or risks on-site before work commences.

15. Force Majeure

15.1 We shall not be liable for any failure or delay in the performance of our obligations where such failure or delay is beyond our reasonable control. This includes but is not limited to acts of God, adverse weather conditions, strikes, power outages, and equipment failures.

16. Title and Risk

16.1 Title to any goods supplied by us shall remain vested in us until payment in full has been received. Risk in such goods shall pass to you upon delivery.

17. Right to Refuse Service and Customer Conduct

17.1 We reserve the right to refuse, discontinue, or decline to provide any service, at our sole discretion and for any reason, including but not limited to where we deem the working conditions unsafe or unreasonable, where you have breached any of these Terms and Conditions, or where we consider it is not in the best interests of our business to proceed.

17.2 Customer Conduct: We expect our Engineers to be treated with courtesy and respect at all times. We operate a zero-tolerance policy towards abusive, threatening, aggressive, or discriminatory behaviour directed at any member of our team. If any such behaviour occurs, the Engineer has the right to stop work immediately and leave the property. In such circumstances, you will remain liable for payment for all work completed up to that point, and we reserve the right to refuse any future bookings.

17.3 Where we exercise our right to refuse service under this section, any deposits or advance payments may be retained to cover work already carried out and any costs reasonably incurred by us.

18. Complaints

18.1 Any complaints should be submitted to us by email at hello@tarkaboilers.co.uk.

18.2 We will acknowledge receipt of the complaint within 2 working days and endeavour to provide a full response within 5 working days.

19. Alternative Dispute Resolution

19.1 We are not required to participate in alternative dispute resolution procedures operated by an approved dispute resolution provider. If you have a complaint, please contact us at hello@tarkaboilers.co.uk and we will endeavour to resolve the matter directly with you.

20. Data Protection

20.1 We will process your personal data in accordance with our Privacy Policy, which is available on request.

20.2 We collect and process your personal data for the purposes of providing our services, managing bookings, processing payments, and communicating with you. The legal basis for this processing is the performance of our contract with you.

21. General Provisions

21.1 Governing Law: These Terms and Conditions shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of England and Wales. The parties agree to submit to the exclusive jurisdiction of the English courts.

21.2 Severability: If any provision of these Terms and Conditions is found to be unenforceable, it shall not affect the enforceability of the remaining provisions.

21.3 Entire Agreement: These Terms and Conditions, together with any quotation or booking confirmation, constitute the entire agreement between us and you.

21.4 Amendments: We may update these Terms and Conditions from time to time. The version in force at the time of your booking will apply to your contract with us.

Schedule 1: Model Cancellation Form

(Complete and return this form only if you wish to withdraw from the contract)

To: George Lane Trading As Tarka Boilers, 10 Tannery Close, South Molton, Devon, EX36 4FB, Email: hello@tarkaboilers.co.uk

I/We hereby give notice that I/We cancel my/our contract for the supply of the following service:

• Service description: [Service description]
• Ordered on / Service date: [Date]
• Name of consumer(s): [Name]
• Address of consumer(s): [Address]
• Signature of consumer(s) (only if this form is notified on paper): [Signature]
• Date: [Date]

Version 4.0 – July 2026

For any questions about these terms, please contact us at hello@tarkaboilers.co.uk or call 01271 444410.