Fair Pay & Customer Protection Policy

FixMySystem recognises that fault-finding, testing and professional diagnosis have real value, even when a system cannot be restored during a visit. This policy protects engineers from providing skilled work without payment while protecting customers from paying the full repair price when the agreed outcome has not been achieved.

This policy applies to fixed-price repair jobs booked and paid for through FixMySystem. It applies to the labour element of the accepted quote and should be read with the job brief, accepted quote, cancellation policy and FixMySystem Terms. If another document conflicts with this policy, the FixMySystem Terms take priority.

Diagnosis-only inspections, surveys, reports and hourly-rate jobs are treated separately because their agreed outcome is the provision of time, testing, findings or a report rather than a guaranteed repair.

Agreed Outcome.

The specific operational result stated in the accepted job brief or quote, including any agreed safety, performance or testing criteria.

Agreed Labour Fee.

The labour-only amount in the accepted quote, excluding VAT, parts, consumables, third-party charges, travel, accommodation, call-out charges and platform fees.

Qualifying No-Fix Outcome.

The Agreed Outcome was not achieved, but the engineer made a genuine, competent and reasonable attempt, complied with this policy and supplied the required evidence and service report.

Protected No-Fix Payment.

50% of the Agreed Labour Fee payable for a Qualifying No-Fix Outcome.

Engineer Fault.

A failure caused or materially contributed to by the engineer’s lack of reasonable skill or care, misrepresentation, avoidable error, missing ordinary tools or capability, unauthorised work, abandonment, or failure to meet the evidence requirements in this policy.

To qualify, the engineer must:

• Accepted the job on reasonable grounds and held the skills, authorisations and insurance required for the stated scope.
• Attended within the agreed window, or communicated and agreed any unavoidable delay.
• Used reasonable skill and care, followed site rules and safe working practices, and worked only within their competence and authorisation.
• Carried out a proportionate diagnostic process using appropriate tools and available technical information.
• Obtained the customer’s approval before materially changing the scope, increasing the price, fitting additional parts or continuing beyond an agreed limit.
• Left the system in an agreed safe condition and clearly identified any isolation, restriction or residual risk.
• Submitted a service report within 24 hours of the visit, unless another deadline was agreed.

A no-fix claim must include enough evidence for the customer and FixMySystem to understand what work was performed. The report should contain:

• Arrival and departure times, the asset or system worked on, and the reported symptoms.
• Tests completed, readings, alarms, fault codes and relevant observations.
• Work carried out, components checked or changed, and the system’s condition when the engineer left.
• The most likely cause where one can reasonably be identified, or why the cause remains unconfirmed.
• Why the Agreed Outcome could not be achieved and whether the limitation was technical, safety, access, parts or outside the approved scope.
• Recommended next steps, required parts or specialist support, and any urgent safety instructions.
• Relevant photographs, screenshots, test results or other evidence, subject to site confidentiality.

• Prior approval. Parts, consumables, travel, accommodation and third-party costs are chargeable only where stated in the accepted quote or approved through the platform before the cost is incurred, except for genuine emergency measures to make the system safe.
• Unused parts. Unused and returnable parts are not charged to the customer. A restocking or return charge may be passed on only if disclosed and approved in advance.
• Installed or consumed items. Pre-approved items that are installed, consumed or made non-returnable may be charged where the customer receives the item or benefit, even if the repair is incomplete. They are not chargeable where their use resulted from Engineer Fault, unless the customer chooses to retain them at an agreed price.
• Removed components. Removed components remain the customer’s property unless the customer authorises disposal or exchange. Any core credit or supplier refund must be disclosed and passed on as agreed.
• VAT and platform fees. VAT is added where legally applicable. Platform fees or commission are calculated only on amounts properly payable and must be adjusted if a payment is reduced or refunded.

An engineer will not normally receive the Protected No-Fix Payment where:

• The engineer misrepresented their skills, availability, authorisations, insurance or ability to undertake the stated job.
• The failure resulted from a lack of ordinary tools, test equipment, preparation or information a competent engineer should reasonably have arranged.
• The engineer performed unauthorised work, acted negligently, caused avoidable damage or failed to follow reasonable safety or site instructions.
• The engineer abandoned the job without a valid safety, legal, medical or site-related reason and without communicating with the customer.
• No meaningful diagnostic or repair work was completed and the engineer cannot provide adequate records or evidence.
• The visit was required to correct the engineer’s own defective workmanship within the agreed workmanship warranty.
• The engineer or customer attempted to manipulate the policy, fabricate evidence or misstate the outcome.

Customers must provide information and access reasonably required for the job, including:

• An accurate description of the fault, known history, previous repairs or modifications, and any available photographs, manuals or error records.
• Safe and timely access to the equipment, work area, utilities, isolation points, permits and an authorised site contact.
• Advance notice of hazards, hygiene requirements, production constraints, warranties, data restrictions and site rules.
• Timely decisions on quoted variations, parts, shutdowns, testing and access needed to continue the work.

If inaccurate information, withheld risks, denied access, unavailable authorisation or customer interference prevents completion after meaningful work has started, the engineer may qualify for payment under section 4. This does not permit charges above the accepted price without approval.

• A customer’s dissatisfaction alone does not prove that the engineer failed, but the engineer must demonstrate compliance with this policy.
• No additional labour, parts or return visit may be charged without clear customer approval.
• The customer will not pay more than 100% of the originally accepted labour fee unless they approve a variation or new scope.
• A later diagnosis or repair by another engineer does not automatically invalidate the first engineer’s protected payment; FixMySystem will consider the evidence available at the time of each visit.
• Nothing in this policy excludes responsibility for negligence, damage, unsafe work, fraud or any right that cannot lawfully be limited.

Where a repair cannot be completed because a part, specialist, shutdown or customer approval is required, the parties may keep the job open. Any Protected No-Fix Payment already released is treated as a credit towards the final labour fee. A return visit, new scope or additional cost must be agreed before work resumes.

The accepted quote should state the workmanship warranty. If the same fault returns and evidence indicates that it was caused by the engineer’s workmanship, the engineer should be given a reasonable opportunity to correct it without additional labour charge, unless there is a genuine safety, trust or operational reason not to permit a return. New faults, unrelated causes and failures outside the agreed scope are treated as new work.

• Customer review. The customer should accept the service report or raise a specific dispute through FixMySystem within five business days, identifying the amount challenged, the reason and any supporting evidence.
• Undisputed payment. Amounts that are not genuinely disputed should be released promptly and not withheld while a separate part of the job is reviewed.
• Evidence review. FixMySystem may consider the accepted job brief and quote, platform messages, timestamps, service reports, photographs, test results, approvals, site records and each party’s account. An independent technical opinion may be requested where proportionate.
• Possible outcomes. FixMySystem may confirm full payment, the 50% Protected No-Fix Payment, no protected labour payment, or payment for clearly separable work accepted by the customer. No decision will authorise charges above the accepted amount without customer approval.
• Appeal. Either party may request one review within five business days of the decision where they provide relevant evidence that was not reasonably available during the first review.
• Legal rights. This process does not prevent either party from using any legal right or remedy available to them.

FixMySystem may investigate repeated no-fix claims, repeated unsupported disputes, manipulated evidence or other misuse. Appropriate action may include additional verification, payment holds on the disputed amount, account restrictions or removal from the platform in accordance with the FixMySystem Terms.

FixMySystem may update this policy to reflect platform experience, changes in law or feedback from engineers and customers. Material changes will apply prospectively unless law or safety requires otherwise.