Trading Terms & Conditions

These Terms and Conditions apply to all inspection, diagnosis, servicing, repair, restoration, fabrication, bodywork, paintwork and other work undertaken by Classic Car Lab Ltd (“Classic Car Lab”, “the Company”, “we” or “us”).

Nothing in these Terms and Conditions affects or restricts a consumer’s statutory rights.

By instructing Classic Car Lab to undertake work, the Customer confirms that they are the legal owner of the vehicle or have authority from the owner to authorise the work.

The Customer authorises Classic Car Lab, its employees and authorised contractors to inspect, move, start and, where reasonably necessary, road-test the vehicle for diagnosis, repair verification, assessment or quality-control purposes.

Work will be carried out with reasonable care and skill.

All prices provided by Classic Car Lab are estimates unless expressly agreed otherwise in writing. For private consumers, estimates will be presented VAT-inclusive, or the VAT-inclusive figure will be shown alongside any ex-VAT figure with at least equal prominence. Ex-VAT pricing may be used for genuine business customers where appropriate.

Classic and historic vehicles frequently contain defects that cannot reasonably be identified until components, trim, paint, underseal, body panels, mechanical assemblies or previous repairs have been removed or dismantled.

Estimates may therefore change where previously concealed corrosion, accident damage, defective components, previous repairs, unavailable parts, increased supplier prices or other unforeseen conditions are discovered.

Where practicable, Classic Car Lab will contact the Customer before undertaking significant additional work outside the originally estimated scope.

An estimate may vary by up to 25% where reasonably necessary because of unforeseen conditions, additional work discovered during dismantling, or changes in parts and materials costs.

Where a significant increase beyond this is anticipated, the Customer will normally be contacted before that additional work is undertaken.

Where goods and services are supplied to private consumers, the price presentation will comply with applicable consumer price-indication requirements. Parts and labour may be itemised separately, but the total price payable by the consumer will be shown clearly inclusive of VAT. For genuine business customers, prices may be stated exclusive of VAT, with VAT added at the applicable rate.

An estimate is based upon the information and condition reasonably apparent at the time it is prepared and does not constitute a guarantee of the final cost of the work.

Time spent diagnosing faults, investigating problems, dismantling components, carrying out inspections or establishing the cause or extent of a defect is chargeable whether or not the Customer subsequently authorises the recommended repair.

Diagnosis does not guarantee that every fault will be identified immediately, particularly where faults are intermittent, multiple faults are present, previous repairs have been undertaken or components must be progressively dismantled or substituted for testing.

The Customer acknowledges that classic, historic and previously restored vehicles may have age-related deterioration, corrosion, fatigue, obsolete components, previous modifications and historic repairs that are not immediately apparent.

The discovery of additional defects during work does not mean those defects were caused by Classic Car Lab.

Where dismantling reveals additional work required to make the vehicle safe, serviceable or suitable for completion of the authorised work, Classic Car Lab will advise the Customer wherever reasonably practicable.

Classic Car Lab cannot guarantee the availability, price or delivery time of obsolete, specialist, remanufactured or second-hand components.

Where a Customer supplies parts, materials or components, Classic Car Lab accepts no responsibility for their quality, suitability, authenticity, compatibility, durability or performance.

Additional labour incurred because a customer-supplied component is incorrect, defective, incomplete or unsuitable will be chargeable.

No separate commercial warranty is given by Classic Car Lab in respect of customer-supplied components themselves.

Where a failure is caused by a customer-supplied component, Classic Car Lab will not be responsible for consequential work required as a result of that component failing, except where liability cannot lawfully be excluded.

Nothing in this clause excludes liability for work proved to have been carried out by Classic Car Lab without reasonable care and skill.

The Customer authorises reasonable road testing of the vehicle where Classic Car Lab considers this necessary for diagnosis, adjustment, testing, fault verification or confirmation that repairs have been successfully completed.

Road testing may result in reasonable additional mileage being recorded on the vehicle.

Vehicles must be delivered to Classic Car Lab with a minimum of one-quarter of a tank of fuel.

Fuel consumed during necessary testing is the responsibility of the Customer.

Where insufficient fuel is provided, Classic Car Lab may add sufficient fuel to enable testing or movement of the vehicle and the cost will be added to the Customer’s invoice.

Road testing on a public road will only be carried out where Classic Car Lab’s own motor-trade insurance and any other applicable legal requirements permit it. Customer authorisation does not override Classic Car Lab’s own legal or insurance obligations. The Customer must disclose any known restriction affecting the lawful use or testing of the vehicle.

Instructions and authorisations may be accepted in writing, by email, text message or other recorded electronic communication.
Where immediate minor additional work is reasonably necessary to complete an authorised repair safely or properly, Classic Car Lab may undertake such work where the additional cost is reasonable in relation to the authorised work.
For substantial additional work, Customer approval will normally be obtained before proceeding.

Classic Car Lab may require a deposit or payment on account before work begins or before significant parts or materials are ordered.

Deposits will be credited against the final invoice.

Special-order, bespoke, manufactured, imported or non-returnable components ordered specifically for a Customer or vehicle must be paid for by the Customer and may not be refundable where the supplier will not accept their return.

Any completion date given is an estimate unless expressly agreed in writing as a fixed contractual completion date.

Classic vehicle work may be affected by the availability of parts, specialist subcontractors, discoveries during dismantling, additional work authorised by the Customer or other circumstances outside Classic Car Lab’s reasonable control.

Classic Car Lab will make reasonable efforts to complete work within the anticipated timescale but will not be responsible for unavoidable delays outside its reasonable control.

Classic Car Lab’s standard labour rate is £110 plus VAT per hour. For private consumers, this is £132 per hour inclusive of VAT at the current 20% rate.
Welding, specialist fabrication and restoration work is charged at £150 plus VAT per hour. For private consumers, this is £180 per hour inclusive of VAT at the current 20% rate.
Different rates may apply where specialist external services, subcontractors or exceptional processes are required. Any such charges will be identified in the estimate or otherwise communicated before substantial additional work is undertaken where reasonably practicable.
Labour rates may be revised from time to time. Any revised rate applies to new contracts and newly authorised additional work after the revised rate has been communicated, and will not be applied retrospectively to work already contracted at an earlier rate unless agreed with the Customer.

Payment is due in full upon notification that the authorised work has been completed and before the vehicle is released, unless different payment arrangements have been agreed by Classic Car Lab in writing.

Payment may be made by bank transfer or accepted UK debit or credit card.

Classic Car Lab is not obliged to offer credit or instalment payment arrangements.

Ownership of parts and components supplied by Classic Car Lab does not pass to the Customer until the relevant invoice has been paid in full.

Customers should arrange collection promptly once notified that their vehicle is ready.
A vehicle may remain at Classic Car Lab without storage charge for seven calendar days following notification that it is ready for collection.
If the vehicle has not been collected after this period, a storage charge of £25 plus VAT per vehicle per day or part thereof will be added to the Customer’s account until the vehicle is collected. For private consumers this is £30 per day inclusive of VAT at the current 20% rate. The charge reflects the cost and value of secure indoor storage and workshop space and is not intended as a penalty.
Storage charges apply whether or not the original repair invoice has already been paid.
Where a Customer asks Classic Car Lab to retain a vehicle for an extended period, separate storage arrangements and charges may be agreed.

Classic Car Lab reserves any lawful lien or other right it has to retain a vehicle, components or other goods in its possession until sums properly due in relation to them have been paid.
Where a vehicle or other goods remain uncollected and/or amounts remain unpaid, Classic Car Lab may exercise any rights available to it under the Torts (Interference with Goods) Act 1977, including, where legally permitted and after the required notices have been given, sale or disposal of the goods.
Reasonable costs associated with storage, notices, recovery, sale or disposal may be deducted from the proceeds where permitted by law. Any balance properly due to the Customer will be dealt with in accordance with the applicable law.

From time to time Classic Car Lab may, entirely at its discretion, undertake minor work, adjustments or improvements for a Customer free of charge as a gesture of goodwill.

Unless expressly agreed otherwise in writing, such complimentary work does not form part of the Customer’s paid scope of work; does not constitute an admission of fault or liability by Classic Car Lab; carries no additional voluntary or commercial warranty beyond any rights which cannot legally be excluded; does not create an entitlement to a cash payment, refund, credit or monetary equivalent if the Customer does not wish to accept or retain the benefit of the goodwill work; and does not alter the terms or warranty applicable to separately paid work.

Where a Customer subsequently asks for goodwill work to be altered, replaced, upgraded or carried out to a different specification, that further work may be chargeable.

Nothing in this clause excludes any liability that cannot lawfully be excluded.

Classic Car Lab warrants that paid work will be undertaken with reasonable care and skill.

Where Classic Car Lab provides an additional commercial warranty, the following periods normally apply from completion: bare-metal respray – 12 months; manufacturer-specified paint process – 12 months; complete engine rebuild or new engine build – 12 months; new parts supplied and fitted by Classic Car Lab – 12 months, subject to any applicable manufacturer’s conditions; general mechanical repair work – 3 months.

These are additional commercial warranty arrangements and do not restrict any statutory rights the Customer may have.

Any suspected defect should be reported to Classic Car Lab as soon as reasonably practicable after it becomes apparent and the Company must be given a reasonable opportunity to inspect the vehicle and, where appropriate, remedy the issue.

The Customer should not instruct another repairer to dismantle, alter or repair the work complained of before Classic Car Lab has had a reasonable opportunity to inspect it, except where this is necessary for immediate safety or to prevent further damage.

Warranty does not cover failures caused by unrelated faults, ordinary wear and tear, corrosion, misuse, competition use, accident damage, lack of maintenance, overheating, subsequent modifications, third-party interference or failure of components outside the work undertaken by Classic Car Lab.

Paint and bodywork warranties do not cover new corrosion originating from previously inaccessible areas or parts of the vehicle that were not included within the agreed repair or restoration.

Classic Car Lab routinely photographs and may film vehicles and work in progress for job records, quality control, condition recording, security and documentation. These operational records may be retained where reasonably necessary for legitimate business purposes and in accordance with applicable data-protection law.

Photographs or video will only be used for marketing or promotional purposes where the Customer has positively opted in, for example by ticking or signing the relevant consent on the vehicle check-in or authorisation form. Promotional use may include the Classic Car Lab website, social-media platforms, advertising and promotional material, portfolio and case-study material, and editorial, television, video and online content.

Classic Car Lab will not intentionally publish private personal information about the Customer without an appropriate lawful basis and will take reasonable steps to avoid identifying the Customer unnecessarily. Vehicle registration numbers or other identifying details may be obscured where appropriate.

A Customer may withhold or withdraw promotional consent at any time for future use. Withdrawal will not affect operational records retained for legitimate business, legal, insurance or evidential purposes, nor will it necessarily require removal of material already lawfully published before withdrawal where removal is not reasonably practicable. Further information will be provided in Classic Car Lab’s customer privacy notice.

Classic Car Lab may record the vehicle’s condition when it arrives, including photographs or video of bodywork, paintwork, wheels, glass, trim, interior, mileage and fuel level.

Further photographs may be taken during dismantling and when the vehicle leaves Classic Car Lab.

These records may be retained as evidence of the vehicle’s condition and the work undertaken.

The Customer should notify Classic Car Lab of any particularly valuable, fragile, unusual or pre-existing condition affecting the vehicle when it is delivered.

Customers must remove valuables and personal belongings from their vehicle before leaving it with Classic Car Lab.

Classic Car Lab accepts no responsibility for cash, valuables or other personal belongings left in a vehicle except where loss or damage results from negligence for which liability cannot lawfully be excluded.

Classic Car Lab is not responsible for pre-existing damage, corrosion, defective previous repairs, fatigued components, historic modifications or faults unrelated to the work undertaken.

Where deterioration becomes apparent during dismantling or repair, the Customer will be advised where appropriate.

Components on older vehicles may fail during normal dismantling because of age, seizure, corrosion or previous damage. Where reasonable care has been exercised, replacement or additional work required as a consequence will be chargeable to the Customer.

Unless the Customer asks before completion for replaced components to be retained for collection, removed parts may be disposed of, recycled or scrapped by Classic Car Lab after the work has been completed.

Parts subject to an exchange or surcharge arrangement with a supplier may need to be returned and cannot necessarily be retained by the Customer.

Customers should notify Classic Car Lab before leaving a vehicle if it has an unusually high value, exceptional provenance or any special insurance, security, handling or storage requirements.

The Customer remains responsible for maintaining any insurance which they are required or wish to maintain in respect of the vehicle.

Where a Customer requests modifications or work that differs from the vehicle manufacturer’s original specification, Classic Car Lab will carry out the authorised work with reasonable care and skill but cannot guarantee how unrelated original components will respond to the modification.

The Customer is responsible for informing their insurer and any relevant authority of modifications where required.

Classic Car Lab reserves the right to refuse to carry out work that it reasonably considers unsafe, unlawful or professionally inappropriate.

Classic Car Lab may use appropriately selected third-party specialists or subcontractors for specialist services including machining, trimming, plating, specialist engineering or other processes.

Classic Car Lab remains responsible for its obligations to the Customer to the extent required by law.

A Customer may instruct Classic Car Lab to stop work at any time.

The Customer will remain responsible for work already carried out, diagnostic and dismantling time, parts and materials already supplied or committed to, non-returnable or special-order components and any reasonable costs incurred as a consequence of the instruction to stop.

A dismantled vehicle may require additional labour to make it suitable for collection, transport or storage. Such work will be chargeable.

If a Customer believes there is a problem with work carried out by Classic Car Lab, they should contact us promptly and provide reasonable details of the issue.

Classic Car Lab must be given a reasonable opportunity to inspect the vehicle and, where appropriate, rectify any defect for which it is responsible.

Nothing in these Terms affects any statutory remedies available to a consumer.

Nothing in these Terms limits or excludes liability where doing so would be unlawful, including liability for death or personal injury caused by negligence.

Classic Car Lab is not responsible for losses caused by pre-existing faults, undisclosed defects, corrosion, normal deterioration, third-party work or circumstances outside its reasonable control.

For business Customers, additional limitations of liability may apply where separately agreed in writing.

Restoration and substantial repair projects evolve as work progresses.

Any change requested by the Customer after work has commenced may affect the cost and estimated completion date.

Where work already completed has to be removed, repeated or altered because the Customer changes their specification or instructions, the additional time and materials will be chargeable.

Classic Car Lab will not be responsible for delay or failure caused by events outside its reasonable control, including supplier delays, parts shortages, transport disruption, utility interruption, fire, flood, extreme weather, industrial action or failure of specialist third-party services.

This clause does not affect the Customer’s statutory rights.

These Terms and Conditions and any contract between Classic Car Lab Ltd and the Customer are governed by the laws of England and Wales.

Nothing in these Terms prevents a consumer from exercising any right regarding jurisdiction which cannot lawfully be restricted.

The current version of these Terms and Conditions is available at classiccarlab.com.

The Terms, labour rates and storage rates applicable to a particular job are those provided or made available to the Customer when the contract for that work is entered into. Any later change to these Terms or rates will apply only to new contracts or to additional work expressly agreed after the change, and will not be applied retrospectively to an existing contract unless agreed with the Customer.