These Terms & Conditions apply to all repair, accident repair, bodywork, paintwork and associated services provided by OHworks Accident Repair and Paintwork LTD.
By instructing OHworks to carry out work on a vehicle, you agree to these Terms & Conditions.
1. Estimates and Quotations
1.1 All estimates and quotations provided by OHworks are based on a visual inspection of the vehicle and the information available to us at the time of inspection.
1.2 A visual inspection cannot always identify hidden, internal or mechanical damage. Once repairs commence, further damage, defects, corrosion, previous repairs, missing or damaged components, or other issues may become apparent.
1.3 Any additional labour, parts, materials, paintwork, mechanical work, diagnostic work, specialist work or other costs identified after dismantling or during the repair process will be charged in addition to the original estimate or quotation.
1.4 Where reasonably practicable, OHworks will inform the Customer of significant additional costs before proceeding with additional work. However, where work is necessary to safely progress or complete the repair, the Customer authorises OHworks to carry out reasonable additional work and charge accordingly.
1.5 A quotation is not a guarantee that the final cost will remain unchanged where additional damage or work is discovered.
1.6 If the Customer declines additional work required to complete the repair, OHworks may require the vehicle to be collected in its current condition. Any costs already incurred, including dismantling, labour, parts, storage, recovery or reassembly, remain payable.
2. Authorisation to Carry Out Repairs
2.1 By instructing OHworks to repair a vehicle, the Customer confirms that they are authorised to instruct us to carry out the work.
2.2 Where a vehicle is being repaired through an insurance claim, the Customer remains responsible for any amounts not paid by the insurer, including policy excesses, uninsured items, additional repairs and any difference between the insurer's authorised amount and the actual cost of repairs.
2.3 OHworks is not responsible for delays caused by insurers, accident management companies, assessors, parts suppliers, manufacturers, third parties or other organisations outside our reasonable control.
3. Additional Damage and Parts
3.1 Repairs may reveal damage that was not visible during the initial inspection.
3.2 Additional parts may be required as a result of hidden damage, damage discovered during dismantling, incorrect or incomplete previous repairs, corrosion, or parts that cannot safely or properly be reused.
3.3 Additional parts and labour will be charged to the Customer where they are not included in the original quotation or are not paid for by a third party.
3.4 Parts may be sourced from manufacturers, approved suppliers, aftermarket suppliers, recycled/salvage suppliers or other appropriate sources unless a specific part type has been agreed in writing.
3.5 Where a particular brand, manufacturer or type of part is specifically requested by the Customer, any additional cost will be payable by the Customer.
4. Payment
4.1 All vehicles must be paid for in full before leaving OHworks' premises unless otherwise agreed in writing.
4.2 Payment must include all outstanding repair costs, additional work, parts, labour, VAT where applicable, storage charges and any other agreed or properly chargeable costs.
4.3 An insurance claim being submitted, approved or paid does not automatically remove the Customer's responsibility for amounts owed to OHworks.
4.4 Where an insurer, accident management company or other third party is responsible for payment, OHworks reserves the right to require payment from the Customer for any amount not received from that third party.
4.5 OHworks may refuse to release a vehicle until all amounts due have been paid, subject to applicable law.
4.6 Where payment arrangements or credit terms have been expressly agreed in writing, those arrangements will take precedence over the standard payment terms.
5. Ownership of Parts
5.1 All parts supplied and/or fitted by OHworks remain the property of OHworks until all invoices and amounts relating to the vehicle and the repairs have been paid in full.
5.2 This includes, where applicable, parts that have been fitted to the vehicle.
5.3 Until full payment has been received, OHworks reserves its rights in respect of unpaid parts and any other unpaid goods or services, subject always to applicable law.
5.4 Once all outstanding amounts have been paid in full, ownership of parts supplied by OHworks will pass to the Customer where applicable.
6. Storage and Vehicle Collection
6.1 The Customer is responsible for collecting the vehicle promptly once OHworks has notified them that the repairs are complete or the vehicle is ready for collection.
6.2 Storage charges will apply from three (3) days after the repairs have been completed and the vehicle is available for collection, unless an alternative arrangement has been agreed in writing.
6.3 Storage charges will continue to accrue until the vehicle is collected or otherwise removed from OHworks' premises.
6.4 The applicable storage charge will be communicated to the Customer and may be charged on a daily or other agreed basis.
6.5 Storage charges may apply where delays in collection are caused by the Customer, an insurer, accident management company or another third party, unless OHworks has expressly agreed otherwise in writing.
6.6 The Customer should not assume that storage charges will be waived because an insurance claim or third-party payment is delayed.
7. Uncollected or Abandoned Vehicles
7.1 The Customer must make reasonable arrangements to collect the vehicle when notified that it is ready.
7.2 If a vehicle remains uncollected for an extended period, OHworks may contact the Customer to require collection and payment of all outstanding sums.
7.3 If a vehicle remains uncollected despite reasonable attempts to contact the Customer, OHworks reserves the right to take further action available to it under applicable law, including recovery of outstanding costs and, where legally permitted, disposal or sale of the vehicle to recover sums owed.
7.4 OHworks will not dispose of or sell a vehicle other than in accordance with applicable legal requirements.
8. Customer-Supplied Parts
8.1 Where the Customer supplies parts, OHworks cannot guarantee the suitability, quality, compatibility, condition or fitment of those parts.
8.2 OHworks reserves the right to refuse to fit any part that we reasonably consider unsafe, unsuitable, defective or incompatible with the vehicle.
8.3 Additional labour or costs arising from incorrect, defective, incomplete or unsuitable customer-supplied parts will be payable by the Customer.
8.4 Unless otherwise agreed in writing, OHworks does not provide a parts warranty for parts supplied by the Customer.
9. Vehicle Condition and Pre-Existing Damage
9.1 OHworks is not responsible for damage, defects, faults or deterioration that existed before the vehicle was delivered to us.
9.2 The Customer acknowledges that vehicles undergoing accident repair may have pre-existing damage, wear and tear, corrosion, mechanical defects or previous repair work.
9.3 OHworks may photograph or document the vehicle before and during repairs for inspection, record-keeping, insurance and evidential purposes.
9.4 Where reasonably practicable, OHworks may notify the Customer of significant pre-existing damage discovered during the repair process.
10. Mechanical and Electrical Faults
10.1 Accident repairs may involve components connected to the vehicle's mechanical, electrical, electronic, safety or computer systems.
10.2 OHworks will not be responsible for faults that were present before the vehicle was delivered to us or that arise independently of the work carried out by OHworks.
10.3 Where an existing fault is discovered during repairs, any diagnostic work or additional repairs required will be treated as additional work unless included in the original quotation.
11. Repair Times and Delays
11.1 Any estimated completion date provided by OHworks is an estimate only and is not guaranteed unless expressly agreed otherwise in writing.
11.2 Repair times may be affected by hidden damage, parts availability, supplier delays, insurer authorisation, assessor inspections, additional work, vehicle manufacturer requirements, specialist subcontractors and other circumstances outside our reasonable control.
11.3 OHworks will make reasonable efforts to keep the Customer informed of significant delays.
12. Vehicle Safety
12.1 OHworks will carry out repairs using reasonable skill and care.
12.2 If additional damage or defects are discovered that may affect the safety or roadworthiness of the vehicle, OHworks may require those issues to be addressed before releasing the vehicle.
12.3 If the Customer declines safety-related repairs, OHworks reserves the right not to release the vehicle where doing so would be unlawful or unsafe.
13. Test Drives and Vehicle Movement
13.1 The Customer authorises OHworks and its employees, contractors and authorised representatives to move and, where reasonably necessary, test drive the vehicle for purposes connected with inspection, diagnosis, repair, calibration, testing, quality control, MOT preparation or collection/delivery.
13.2 Test drives will be limited to what OHworks reasonably considers necessary for the repair and testing process.
14. Personal Belongings
14.1 Customers should remove all personal belongings, valuables and other property from the vehicle before leaving it with OHworks.
14.2 OHworks is not responsible for loss of or damage to personal belongings left inside a vehicle except where liability cannot lawfully be excluded or limited.
15. Vehicle Keys and Security
15.1 Customers must provide all keys, security devices, locking wheel-nut keys and other items reasonably required to carry out the repair.
15.2 OHworks is not responsible for delays or additional costs resulting from missing keys, security devices or other necessary items.
16. Paintwork and Colour Matching
16.1 Every reasonable effort will be made to achieve an appropriate colour match.
16.2 Due to factors including age, weathering, fading, previous repairs, paint type and manufacturer variations, an exact visual match between new and existing paintwork cannot always be guaranteed.
16.3 Where blending into adjacent panels is reasonably necessary to achieve an acceptable finish, this may constitute additional work where it was not included in the original quotation.
17. Repairs and Warranty
17.1 OHworks will carry out repair work with reasonable skill and care.
17.2 Any warranty offered by OHworks will apply only to the work and/or parts expressly covered by that warranty.
17.3 Manufacturer warranties, supplier warranties and warranties relating to third-party parts are subject to the relevant manufacturer's or supplier's terms.
17.4 Warranty coverage does not normally include damage caused by subsequent accidents, misuse, neglect, corrosion unrelated to the repair, normal wear and tear, modifications, vandalism, environmental damage or repairs carried out by another party.
17.5 Nothing in these Terms & Conditions excludes or limits any rights or remedies that cannot legally be excluded or limited.
18. Customer Inspection and Collection
18.1 The Customer should inspect the vehicle when collecting it and raise any obvious concerns with OHworks as soon as reasonably possible.
18.2 Collection of the vehicle confirms that the Customer has taken possession of the vehicle, but does not affect any statutory rights or valid warranty rights the Customer may have.
18.3 If the Customer identifies an issue that they believe relates to the repair, OHworks should be given a reasonable opportunity to inspect and, where appropriate, rectify the issue.
19. Liability
19.1 OHworks will carry out work with reasonable skill and care.
19.2 Nothing in these Terms & Conditions excludes or limits liability where such exclusion or limitation would be unlawful.
19.3 Subject to applicable law, OHworks is not responsible for indirect or consequential losses arising from delays, loss of use, loss of business, loss of income or other consequential losses where such liability can lawfully be excluded.
20. Cancellation
20.1 If the Customer cancels the repair after OHworks has ordered parts, commenced dismantling, commenced repairs or incurred other costs on the Customer's behalf, the Customer may be responsible for costs reasonably incurred as a result of the cancellation.
20.2 Any non-refundable or specially ordered parts may be charged to the Customer where permitted by law.
21. Removed and Replaced Parts
21.1 Removed parts may be retained by OHworks for disposal, recycling, warranty claims, insurance requirements or other legitimate purposes unless the Customer requests their return before the work is completed.
21.2 Where an insurer or other third party requires removed parts to be retained, OHworks may retain them for the required period.
22. Subcontractors and Specialist Services
22.1 OHworks may use appropriately qualified third parties or specialist contractors where reasonably required to complete a repair.
22.2 The Customer remains responsible for the agreed cost of such work where it forms part of the authorised repair.
23. Personal Data
23.1 OHworks will process Customer information in accordance with applicable data protection legislation and its privacy policy.
23.2 Customer information may be shared where reasonably necessary to administer repairs, insurance claims, payments, warranties, vehicle records, legal obligations or services connected with the repair.
24. Complaints
24.1 If you have a concern regarding our work or service, please contact OHworks as soon as reasonably possible so that we can investigate the matter.
24.2 We will aim to investigate complaints fairly and provide a reasonable opportunity to resolve genuine issues relating to our work.
25. Changes to These Terms
25.1 OHworks reserves the right to update these Terms & Conditions from time to time.
25.2 The Terms & Conditions applicable to a repair will be those provided to or made available to the Customer at the time the repair is authorised, unless otherwise agreed in writing.
26. Governing Law
26.1 These Terms & Conditions and any dispute arising from the provision of services by OHworks shall be governed by the laws of England and Wales, unless applicable law requires otherwise.
26.2 The courts of England and Wales shall have jurisdiction, subject to any mandatory consumer rights that apply.
Customer Acknowledgement
By accepting a quotation, estimate or invoice, authorising repairs, instructing OHworks Accident Repair and Paintwork LTD to carry out work, or allowing OHworks to commence repairs to your vehicle, you confirm that you have read, understood and agree to comply with these Terms & Conditions.
Your acceptance and authorisation of repairs constitutes your agreement to these Terms & Conditions, including the provisions relating to additional work and costs, payment, parts ownership, storage charges and vehicle collection.