The following information is based on details provided to us by the Consumer Protection Association. If you require further details, or would like to speak to someone, please call the CPA on 01462 850062. Further contact details are available at the bottom of this page.

Q. What is the Consumer Protection Association?

A. The Consumer Protection Association (CPA) is a Financial Services Authority (FSA) authorised organisation which offers a range of services to provide consumers valuable protection when purchasing home improvements.

They are not tied to a particular trade and therefore their protection schemes apply to a wide range of products and services.

Q. What is a CPA Member?

A. A CPA member is a company that has met our strict criteria which ensures that they are thoroughly professional in their chosen industry.

Membership is ONLY offered to those companies we feel can offer the consumer a professional, reliable and ethical product and service, and can prove they have the ability to produce the highest quality of work.

Members who offer Deposit Indemnity and, or Insurance Backed Guarantees on their work include this insurance at no additional cost to you.

Q. What is a Deposit Indemnity?

A. Deposit Indemnity is insurance for the deposit you pay to secure the work to be carried out on your home. This insurance covers a deposit up to 25% of the agreed price with the company or £7,500, which ever is the lesser.

The Indemnity covers you for a period of up to 90* days from the date you pay your deposit. An example of this is if you have paod a deposit to a company who then ceases to trade due to Liquidation, Receivership, Administration or the winding up of a business due to Bankruptcy, State Retirement or Death of the Principal(s), your deposit is either refunded to you in full, or the work is completed by another company at the balance agreed price.

* subject to terms and conditions

Q. What is an Insurance Backed Guarantee?

A. An Insurance Backed Guarantee is valuable protection in the unlikely event of the CPA Member ceasing to trade, due to liquidation or bankruptcy. The guarantee offered by the installing company is valid the whole time they are trading and so any defects should be corrected by them.

If due to Liquidation, Receivership, Administration or winding up of the business due to Bankruptcy, State Retirement or Death of the Principal(s), the company no longer exists, faults appear after they cease to trade will be covered by the Insurance Backed Guarantee. Depending on the nature of the work undertaken, the Insurance Backed Guarantee* is available for a period of up to 10 years and is backed by an authorised Insurer. Whitehall have also made arrangements that if you would like to extend the cover after 10 years, then this option is available to you.

* subject to terms and conditions

Q. Why do I need the protection of the CPA?

A. Unfortunately things do go wrong from time to time and you need our protection in order to ensure that if our member ceases to trade due to Liquidation, Receivership, Administration or winding up of the business due to Bankruptcy, State Retirement or Death of the Principal(s) you do not lose your deposit or the benefit of any long term guarantee. We have all heard the horror stories where consumers lose deposits or have been left with worthless guarantees. By selecting a CPA member you can eliminate the risk.

Q. How can I check the track record of a CPA member?

A. The CPA is one of the only organisations to continually monitor EVERY member on the levels of their service, products and work carried out.

Customers of every member are surveyed after the work has been completed on their homes.

A report is produced quarterly by the CPA in order to assist the member in maintaining, and where possible improving standards of quality and service.

This report is also available on request to customers of our members in order to give you peace of mind that you are dealing with a reputable company.

Q. How do I know the company I am using is a CPA Member?

A. You can verify a company's membership in a number of ways. You can ask to see their membership licence and the representatives ID card, you can call the CPA on 01462 850064 and give the company name or you can go to www.thecpa.co.uk/verify and type in the company name for instant membership verification.

 

Tel: 01462 850062 Email: info@thecpa.co.uk www.thecpa.co.uk