§ 26. Mr. Carter-Jonesasked the President of the Board of Trade if he will in- 408 troduce legislation to compel repair agencies to display prominently minimum charges where such charges apply; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mrs. Gwyneth DunwoodyThose who impose a minimum charge for servicing or repair generally make this clear to the customer at the outset, and, if they do not, the customer would be well advised to ask. I see no need for legislation.
§ Mr. Carter-JonesSurely my hon. Friend has given the show away in saying that they "generally" do it; the unscrupulous do not. There may be a case for minimum charges. If it is the sole method of having a repair, is it not unfair to the consumer suddenly to find himself with a fabulous bill for a minimum charge?
§ Mrs. DunwoodyNo one sympathises more than I do with what my hon. Friend says, but I am sure that he will realise that there are all sorts of difficulties in this field. For instance, someone who had asked for a service in his home on a piece of machinery would have no way of knowing what was displayed in the shop as a minimum charge. It is a problem, but I hope that people will have enough common sense to demand to know the price of repairs before getting the repair man in.