1. Definitions and application
1.1 Definitions. “Company” means A3E Auto Ltd; “Customer” means the person contracting with the Company; “Vehicle” includes any vehicle, engine or component delivered for work; “Services” means diagnostics, inspection, servicing, repairs, rebuilds, programming, testing or recovery arranged by the Company. “Consumer” means an individual acting wholly or mainly outside their trade, business, craft or profession.
1.2 Application and precedence. These terms apply to contracts for Services unless an agreed written variation applies. Any separately agreed fleet or business terms take precedence to the extent expressly stated. Nothing in these terms affects rights that cannot lawfully be restricted.
2. Contract formation and acceptance
2.1 Availability and acceptance. The Company shall make these Terms & Conditions available to the Customer via email or through its official website, together with the principal pricing information and relevant scope of services. Acceptance of these Terms & Conditions and authorisation of the agreed work may be evidenced by a signed job card, email, SMS, electronic approval, verbal authorisation or any other reliable evidence demonstrating the Customer’s agreement. The Company will retain an appropriate record of the agreed services and prices where reasonably practicable.
2.2 Authority to instruct work. By instructing the Company to undertake work, the Customer confirms that they are either the legal owner of the Vehicle or have the necessary authority from the legal owner to authorise the services. The Customer shall disclose any finance, leasing, insurance, fleet management or other third-party arrangements that may affect their authority to instruct repairs, approve expenditure or authorise work on the Vehicle.
3. Estimates, quotations and variations
3.1 Estimates and fixed quotations. An estimate is an informed prediction, not a fixed price; a quotation identified as fixed is binding for its stated scope and validity period, subject to customer-approved variations and lawful exceptions. Any validity period, exclusions, assumptions, VAT and potential charges will be stated in the written estimate or quote.
3.2 Additional findings and variations. Repairs may reveal hidden faults or consequential damage. The Company will explain material changes and seek fresh customer approval before performing additional chargeable work. If approval is declined or unavailable, work may be paused and the applicable diagnostic/dismantling and collection terms will apply.
4. Diagnostics and staged investigations
4.1 Diagnostic charges. Diagnostic time and investigations are chargeable as agreed, whether or not a fault is fully identified or repaired. Intermittent faults may require additional sessions, dismantling, specialist tests or repeat visits. The Company will explain the agreed initial diagnostic allowance and seek authority for work beyond that allowance.
4.2 Diagnostic findings and limitations. Diagnostic findings may distinguish observed faults, likely causes and unverified possibilities. A diagnosis is not a promise that a particular repair will correct every symptom, and the Company will exercise reasonable care and skill throughout.
5. Customer authorisation and communication
5.1 Authorisation. Approval may be given in writing, SMS, email or a recorded verbal conversation, provided the work and cost authorised are clear. Silence or failure to answer the telephone is not consent. The Company may suspend work while awaiting an instruction and will keep appropriate records of authorisations, estimates and changes.
5.2 Customer contact and decisions. The Customer must provide up-to-date contact details and respond reasonably promptly to decisions needed to progress the job. Where the Customer does not respond, the Company may notify the Customer that the Vehicle is available for collection subject to lawful retention rights and agreed charges.
6. Vehicle condition, property and road testing
6.1 Vehicle condition and belongings. The Company may document mileage, fuel level, warning lights, keys, pre-existing defects and external condition at reception. The Customer should remove cash, valuables and personal possessions where reasonably possible. The Company remains responsible for loss or damage caused by its failure to exercise reasonable care and skill.
6.2 Vehicle movement and road testing. The Customer authorises reasonable vehicle movement and road testing necessary for the agreed Services, subject to applicable law, safety and insurance arrangements. The Company will not knowingly drive a Vehicle unlawfully. Existing defects, safety concerns or lack of fuel may prevent road testing.
7. Parts and customer-supplied components
7.1 Company-supplied parts. Unless otherwise expressly agreed, all replacement parts shall be sourced and supplied by the Company. Parts will be selected from Original Equipment (OE), Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM/OEN), or suitable quality-equivalent aftermarket components, depending on availability, vehicle compatibility, specification and supplier stock. The Company may select appropriate available parts; where a material substitution changes the agreed specification or price, the Customer will be informed and approval obtained where required. Reconditioned, refurbished or used parts shall be identified and agreed before fitting.
7.2 Customer-supplied parts. Where the Customer supplies parts or components, those items are supplied at the Customer’s risk as to their origin, quality, condition, specification, compatibility and inherent defects. The Company provides no voluntary product or parts warranty whatsoever on customer-supplied components and cannot guarantee their durability or suitability. The Company may refuse to install items reasonably considered defective, unsuitable, incompatible or unsafe. Any later diagnostic, removal, replacement or refitting work caused by a defective or incompatible customer-supplied item will be separately chargeable subject to approval. Distinguishing part failure from installation error may require further technical investigation. No warranty exclusion in this clause removes the Company’s duty to exercise reasonable care and skill when fitting an accepted item, or any other liability that cannot lawfully be excluded.
8. Engine rebuilds and major repairs
8.1 Agreed repair scope. All engine rebuilds and major mechanical repairs undertaken by the Company shall be strictly limited to the components, labour and procedures expressly specified in the Customer’s approved quotation, estimate or repair schedule.
8.2 Top-end versus complete rebuild. A partial or top-end engine rebuild shall not constitute a complete engine rebuild.
8.3 Excluded components and systems. Unless expressly included in the agreed scope of work, the Company shall not be responsible for the inspection, repair, replacement or reconditioning of other engine components or associated systems, including but not limited to the cylinder block, crankshaft, pistons, connecting rods, bearings, oil pump, lubrication system, fuel injection system, turbocharger, cooling system, emissions equipment, electrical components and other ancillary assemblies.
8.4 Latent and pre-existing faults. The Customer acknowledges that dismantling, inspection and repair may reveal additional defects or damage not reasonably identifiable beforehand, including cracked or damaged castings, internal wear, piston-to-valve contact, contamination, lubrication failures, overheating damage or pre-existing faults affecting associated components.
8.5 Additional repairs and approvals. Where further defects are identified, the Company shall explain its findings, recommend appropriate remedial work and obtain authorisation before undertaking additional chargeable repairs.
8.6 Essential work and right to discontinue. The Company may decline or discontinue a repair where refusal of essential remedial work would compromise safety, reliability or the technical integrity of the proposed repair.
8.7 Subsequent failures and warranty scope. The Company shall not be responsible for subsequent failures arising solely from pre-existing defects, components outside the agreed scope or essential corrective work recommended but declined by the Customer, provided those failures were not caused or contributed to by a failure by the Company to exercise reasonable care and skill. The voluntary repair warranty extends only to qualifying parts and workmanship within the agreed repair scope, without affecting statutory rights.
9. Dismantled vehicles and declined repairs
9.1 Charges for work already undertaken. Where the Customer has authorised diagnostic investigation, dismantling, inspection or other work, all authorised labour, services, parts and associated costs incurred up to the point at which the Customer declines subsequent repairs remain payable, whether or not the Customer chooses to proceed with recommended work.
9.2 Condition following dismantling. The Customer acknowledges that an engine, Vehicle or component may then be dismantled, non-running, non-roadworthy or impractical to reassemble without further labour, parts, specialist procedures or risk.
9.3 Reassembly and further charges. The Company is not required to carry out additional reassembly without separate authorisation and agreement on the costs. Where reassembly is feasible, the Company will explain the available options and proposed charges before commencing that work.
9.4 Collection and recovery. Following notification that further work will not proceed, the Customer remains responsible for arranging prompt, lawful collection or recovery of the Vehicle, including in its dismantled or non-running condition, at their own expense.
9.5 Care of vehicle and components. The Company shall take reasonable care of the Vehicle and removed components while in its possession and advise of material safety or transportation issues. Agreed storage charges and lawful retention rights may apply under the relevant provisions of these Terms.
10. Rebuilt engine running-in and maintenance
10.1 Running-in and 200-mile inspection. Following an engine rebuild or major engine repair, the Customer must comply with the Company’s running-in and maintenance requirements. As a standard requirement, the Vehicle must be returned to A3E Auto Ltd for a post-rebuild check-up after the first 200 miles of use, or within another timeframe expressly specified by the Company.
10.2 Routine servicing and fluid requirements. The Customer must ensure the Vehicle is serviced on time, properly maintained, operated responsibly and filled with the correct manufacturer-approved oils, coolants and other fluids. Oil and coolant levels must be monitored regularly.
10.3 Warning signs and reporting. Unusual noises, warning lights, overheating, leaks, abnormal fluid consumption or other signs of malfunction must be reported promptly, and use of the Vehicle must cease where continued driving risks further damage.
10.4 Additional running-in requirements. Additional running-in instructions, driving restrictions, early oil and filter changes or maintenance checks may be issued on a case-by-case basis depending on the repair.
10.5 Voluntary warranty conditions. Compliance with the 200-mile check-up and any applicable written running-in and maintenance instructions is a condition of the Company’s voluntary engine rebuild warranty.
10.6 Consequences of non-compliance. Failure to comply may result in a claim being refused or warranty cover being invalidated where the non-compliance caused or materially contributed to the claimed failure, subject to the Customer’s statutory rights and applicable law.
11. Repair warranty
11.1 Voluntary repair warranty. Unless a job document states another lawful commercial warranty, qualifying parts and labour supplied by the Company carry a voluntary warranty of 12 months or 12,000 miles, whichever occurs first, from completion. The voluntary warranty is in addition to, and does not replace, the Customer’s statutory rights.
11.2 Coverage and exclusions. The warranty applies to defects in the covered parts or workmanship. It does not automatically cover unrelated failures, ordinary wear, maintenance items, pre-existing conditions, customer-supplied part defects, or damage actually caused by misuse or neglect. Exclusions apply only where factually and legally justified; they do not excuse defective work performed by the Company.
12. Warranty investigation and claims procedure
12.1 Notification and investigation. The Customer should notify the Company promptly of the concern, cease driving if continued use risks damage, and allow reasonable opportunity for inspection and remedy. The Company will assess the fault fairly and explain findings, including whether the matter falls within the voluntary warranty or statutory rights.
12.2 Emergency third-party repairs. Emergency third-party repairs should be discussed with the Company where reasonably possible, but nothing in this clause removes legal remedies or imposes an unreasonable barrier to a claim. Written diagnostic evidence, photographs and retained parts may help investigate a claim. Any proposed customer charge for investigation will be explained and agreed where applicable.
13. Third-party warranties, insurers and fleet work
13.1 Third-party authorisation and funding. Approval by a third-party warranty provider, insurer or fleet manager does not necessarily mean every element of the job is covered or paid. The estimate will identify, so far as known, who is responsible for excesses, exclusions, shortfalls and unauthorised work. The Customer remains liable only where a valid agreement or other legal basis makes them responsible.
13.2 Separate authority and payment arrangements. No work requiring separate authorisation will proceed merely because a claim has been submitted. Any required deposit, approved ceiling and payer arrangements should be confirmed in writing.
14. Payment and retention of vehicle
14.1 Payment deadline. Unless otherwise expressly agreed in writing, all properly invoiced charges for authorised repairs, diagnostics, inspections, dismantling, labour, parts and other Services shall be due immediately upon completion of the agreed work and before the Vehicle is released.
14.2 Cleared funds before release. Payment must be received in full in cleared funds before release of the Vehicle, its keys or associated components, subject to applicable law.
14.3 Deposits and staged payments. The Company may require deposits, advance parts payments or agreed staged payments, particularly for engine rebuilds, major repairs and specially ordered parts.
14.4 Declined repairs. The Customer remains responsible for authorised work and costs already incurred even if further repairs are declined or the Vehicle remains non-running.
14.5 Third-party payment shortfalls. Where an insurer, warranty provider or fleet company funds part or all of a repair, the Customer remains responsible for any agreed shortfall, excess or charges not paid by that party, subject to the agreed payment arrangements.
14.6 Lawful possessory lien. Where qualifying charges remain unpaid, the Company may exercise a lawful possessory lien and retain the Vehicle for as long as the legal requirements for that lien are satisfied.
14.7 Unconfirmed payments. It is not obliged to accept a promise of future payment, an unconfirmed bank transfer or a pending third-party settlement in lieu of cleared payment, unless otherwise agreed. Properly agreed and legally recoverable storage charges, interest and debt recovery costs may also be claimed where applicable, but do not automatically enlarge a possessory lien.
14.8 Debt recovery and ownership. The Company reserves its lawful debt recovery rights. A lien does not transfer ownership of the Vehicle or of itself permit its sale or disposal. Nothing in this clause excludes rights or protections that cannot lawfully be excluded.
15. Advance parts payments, deposits and cancellation
15.1 Advance payment for parts. Where parts are expected to exceed £100 including VAT, the Company may request advance payment of their price before placing an order. The amount and purpose of any deposit will be confirmed. Deposits are credited against the final bill.
15.2 Cancellation and recoverable losses. If the Customer cancels, the Company may seek reasonable, evidenced and lawfully recoverable losses arising from work authorised or parts ordered, taking account of supplier refunds, returns and mitigation. Deposits are not automatically non-refundable. Any applicable statutory cancellation rights and associated information requirements take priority.
15.3 Distance and off-premises contracts. Where a contract is made at a distance or away from the premises, the Company will provide legally required pre-contract information and cancellation documentation, and seek any express request needed to start Services during a statutory cancellation period. Urgent repair exceptions apply only where the statutory conditions are met.
16. Retention of title in unfitted parts
16.1 Unfitted parts and retention of title. Until paid for, separately identifiable and unfitted parts supplied by the Company may remain its property to the extent permitted by law. The clause does not assume that title to components incorporated into a Customer’s Vehicle can always be retained or removed.
17. Vehicle collection and storage
17.1 Collection notification and 48-hour period. The Company operates as a vehicle repair and maintenance workshop and does not offer free or indefinite vehicle storage. Following completion of Services, cancellation, refusal of further repairs, or a pause where work cannot proceed for lack of Customer authorisation and the Vehicle is available for release, the Company will notify the Customer that collection can be arranged. Unless otherwise agreed in writing, the Customer is required to arrange collection within forty-eight (48) hours of notification, subject to reasonable access and any lawful right of retention.
17.2 Requested storage. Where the Customer requests that the Vehicle remain at the Company’s premises beyond the initial 48-hour collection period, storage may be agreed at the Company’s discretion and subject to available space. An agreed parking and storage charge of £15.00 plus VAT per calendar day (£18.00 including VAT at the current 20% rate) shall apply from the agreed commencement date. The Company may decline any extended storage request.
17.3 Seven-day collection notice. Where the Vehicle remains uncollected after the 48-hour period, the Customer fails to respond to reasonable attempts at contact, repeatedly postpones collection or fails to honour agreed collection arrangements, the Company may issue a formal written collection notice allowing a further seven (7) calendar days to arrange and complete collection. The notice shall identify the Vehicle, specify the collection deadline and remind the Customer of the £15.00 plus VAT daily charge and the date on which it will begin. This is a contractual collection reminder, not a statutory notice authorising sale or disposal; non-response does not imply consent.
17.4 Commencement and continuation of storage charges. If the Vehicle remains uncollected after the seven-day collection notice has expired, the agreed storage charge of £15.00 plus VAT per calendar day shall begin automatically under these Terms and continue for each applicable calendar day until collection or another lawful arrangement is made. Unfulfilled promises, repeated postponements or failure to reply shall not automatically suspend the charge; any extension or waiver must be agreed by the Company in writing. Charges shall be separately itemised and remain subject to applicable consumer law, reasonableness, and adjustment where required, including where delay is attributable to the Company. Charges cannot be imposed retrospectively merely because the Terms have subsequently changed.
17.5 Relocation and off-site storage. Where continued storage obstructs workshop operations, the Company may propose secure off-site storage and, subject to applicable law and reasonable prior notice where practicable, arrange lawful and reasonable relocation where authorised. Reasonable transport, recovery and third-party storage costs may be charged only where contractually or legally recoverable. The Customer will be told where the Vehicle is located and how collection can be arranged. Where a Vehicle is unsafe, non-roadworthy, untaxed or otherwise cannot lawfully be driven on public roads, the Customer is responsible for arranging lawful recovery at their expense; such condition does not itself remove agreed collection or storage obligations. Any recovery arranged by the Company will ordinarily require agreement on charges in advance.
18. Uncollected vehicles and lawful sale
18.1 Notice requiring collection. Where a Vehicle remains uncollected, the Company may require collection using notices compliant with the Torts (Interference with Goods) Act 1977, where that Act applies. Notices must identify the Vehicle and give the other particulars and service required by law.
18.2 Statutory sale procedure. The Company may consider a statutory notice of intention to sell only if the relevant statutory conditions are met. Where a sum became due in respect of the Vehicle before the notice, the relevant notice period is generally at least three months. Customer reminders of 48 hours or seven days do not replace that statutory process.
18.3 Ownership and disputes. The Company will consider known owner, finance, leasing and other third-party interests, any disputed charges, and legal restrictions before sale. It will not assume an uncollected Vehicle becomes Company property or automatically scrap it. Sale proceeds and permitted deductions will be accounted for as required by law.
18.4 Legal advice and court directions. For disputed charges, unclear ownership or other complications, the Company may seek professional legal advice or court directions rather than attempt sale under an inapplicable process.
19. Liability and customer rights
19.1 Reasonable care, liability and statutory rights. The Company will perform Services with reasonable care and skill and will be responsible for loss or damage to the extent required by law. Nothing in these terms excludes liability for death or personal injury caused by negligence, fraud, or any other liability or remedy which cannot lawfully be excluded or restricted.
19.2 Unrelated faults and mitigation. The Company is not responsible for faults unrelated to its Services, pre-existing damage or losses that were not caused by a breach on its part. The Customer should take reasonable steps to prevent avoidable additional damage, but this does not diminish mandatory legal rights. No blanket cap to the amount paid for Services applies to consumer claims where unlawful or unfair.
20. Delays and circumstances outside control
20.1 Estimated completion and delays. Parts backorders, specialist machine work, third-party approvals, diagnostic complexity or events beyond reasonable control may affect estimated completion dates. The Company will communicate material delays and revised expectations promptly, and will honour applicable obligations regarding reasonable performance time, cancellation and remedies.
21. Photographs, records and privacy
21.1 Records and personal information. The Company may keep reasonable photographs, diagnostic reports, test results, recordings of authorised communications and repair documentation for job quality, warranty and dispute handling. Personal information is processed in accordance with applicable data-protection law and the Company’s privacy notice, which should explain lawful bases, retention, sharing and individual rights. Separate marketing consent will be sought where required.
22. Complaints and alternative dispute resolution
22.1 Complaints and dispute resolution. Complaints may be submitted to info@a3e-auto.co.uk with the registration, invoice/job reference and the requested resolution. The Company will acknowledge and investigate complaints within a reasonable timeframe and aim to resolve them directly. Where applicable the Company will provide relevant information about any recognised alternative dispute resolution scheme to which it subscribes or is required to refer disputes. Statutory and court rights remain unaffected.
23. Governing law
23.1 Applicable law and consumer rights. These terms are governed by the law of England and Wales, subject to any mandatory consumer protections and jurisdiction rights that apply to a Customer. Nothing in this clause removes a consumer’s right to bring proceedings in a court with jurisdiction under applicable law.