Your consumer rights when you hire a service in Spain

Terms used

• Presupuesto — The presupuesto is a written quote describing the work, parts, labour, price with IVA and how long the offer is valid.
• IVA — IVA is Spain's value-added tax, which must be included in the price you are quoted.
• Factura — A factura is a full invoice from a business, which you can use for tax purposes.
• Hoja de reclamaciones — The hoja de reclamaciones is the official complaint form every business serving the public must give you on request.

Key rules

• Final price: The price you are offered must be the total including IVA, with extras listed separately and agreed by you.
• Repair guarantee: Vehicle and appliance repairs carry a minimum guarantee of 3 months from delivery.
• Quote: Workshops must offer a written presupuesto before repairing a vehicle or appliance, and you accept it in writing.
• Complaints: Ask for the hoja de reclamaciones on the spot and fill it in with the business present.

What you can demand before the work

The provider must tell you the final price, including IVA, before you are bound. Any supplement, delivery charge or optional extra must be listed separately. Optional extras need your clear consent and cannot come pre-ticked. A charge that was never agreed is not enforceable.

When you get a presupuesto

A written presupuesto is not compulsory for every service, but you can always ask for one. For vehicle repairs and for appliance and electronics repairs, the workshop must offer one before it starts. It is free unless the workshop warns you that it charges for it.

A proper presupuesto names the business and you, describes the work, parts and labour, gives the price with IVA, and states how long it is valid. Accept it in writing before work begins. Extra work that is not in the accepted quote needs your approval first.

Some trades and regions add their own duties. Contracts signed at your door or at a distance also have their own information rules. Ask your regional consumer authority about the specific trade.

The factura

A business must issue a factura to another business. It must also issue one to you, as a private person, if you ask for it for a tax purpose. If you do not ask, you normally get a simplified invoice, which is the old ticket. Ask when you pay, not weeks later.

Guarantee on repairs

Repairs of vehicles and appliances carry a minimum guarantee of 3 months from delivery of the repaired item. For vehicles the limit is 3 months or 2,000 km, whichever comes first. It covers the repaired fault and the replaced parts, including labour. The repair invoice must state the guarantee, and it may be longer than the minimum, so read it.

If the work is defective

The provider answers for damage caused by defective work. You can demand that the work be redone, a price reduction or refund, and compensation for damage you can prove. Services that risk your health or safety carry stricter liability. Contract claims can generally be brought within five years. Damages claims in tort have only one year, so do not wait.

How to complain

Every business serving the public must have a hoja de reclamaciones and display a sign saying so. Ask for it and fill it in with the business present. The business keeps one copy and you take the others. Send a copy to your regional consumer authority or town consumer office. The deadline and form vary by region, and some regions use an electronic version.

Filing does not pay you compensation by itself. It starts an administrative procedure that can lead to mediation and sanctions on the business, and it is evidence if you later go to consumer arbitration or court.

Timeline and deadlines

• Ask for the written presupuesto for the repair: before the work starts

• Check the quote's validity period (usually at least 12 days for vehicles) and accept it in writing: before the work begins

• Collect the repaired item and the invoice showing the guarantee: on delivery of the repaired item

• Use the repair guarantee if the same fault returns (3 months from delivery; for vehicles, 3 months or 2,000 km, whichever comes first): within 3 months of delivery

• Send your copy of the hoja de reclamaciones to the consumer authority: within the time limit set by your region

Documents you need

• Written presupuesto (quote) for a vehicle or appliance repair, issued by the workshop before work starts. It names the business and you, describes the work, parts and labour, shows the price with IVA and gives a validity period (usually at least 12 days for vehicles). You accept it in writing.

• Written presupuesto for other services, which you can ask the provider for. It is not compulsory for every service.

• Factura (invoice) from the provider, which you can ask for whenever you need it for a tax purpose. Otherwise you normally get a simplified invoice (the old ticket). For a repair, it must state the guarantee.

• Written price breakdown before you commit: the final total including IVA, with any supplements, delivery or optional charges listed separately.

Checklist

• Ask for a written presupuesto before any repair starts.

• Check that the quote lists the work, parts, labour and the price with IVA.

• Accept the quote in writing and approve any extra work before it is done.

• Ask for a factura when you pay if you need one for tax purposes.

• Check that the repair invoice states the guarantee.

• Ask for the hoja de reclamaciones if the problem is not solved, and fill it in with the business present.

What to watch out for

• Poor work can leave you without a remedy if you wait: A provider is liable for defective work, but claims have time limits: generally five years for breach of contract and one year for damage claims. Waiting can cost you the right to claim. Report the problem to the provider in writing as soon as you notice it, and ask for the work to be redone, a price reduction or a refund.

• Services that risk your health or safety carry stricter liability: For services such as gas, electricity, health and transport, the provider is liable even without proof of fault, but you still need to show the damage. Keep the invoice, photos and any messages, and claim through the complaint form, consumer arbitration or the courts.

Frequently asked questions

Can a provider charge me for a presupuesto?

Usually no: for vehicle and appliance repairs the written presupuesto is free unless the workshop warns you beforehand that it charges for it. Ask before you leave the item whether there is a fee. Without a written, accepted quote, extra work needs your approval.

Can I get a factura if I only got a ticket?

Yes, you can ask the business for a full factura if you need it for a tax purpose, and it must issue one. A ticket is normally a simplified invoice, used for sales up to 400 euros including IVA in most cases. Ask when you pay.

What can I demand if the work was done badly?

You can demand that the work is redone, a price reduction or refund, and compensation for damage you can prove. Claims for breach of contract generally have a five-year limit. Start with the provider, then use the complaint form, consumer arbitration or the courts.

What happens after I fill in a hoja de reclamaciones?

The business keeps one copy and you send another to the regional consumer authority or your town's consumer office (OMIC) within a time limit set by your region. It does not give you compensation directly, but it starts a procedure that can lead to mediation and fines for the business. It also serves as evidence in a later claim.