Have you employed a cowboy builder recently? I did :(

[SUE4U 10]

babychickens - I have read your messages about your bulder. I am having problems with a builder at the moment. He started a kitchen extension on my house in August 2003. He said it was finished in December 2003 and demanded full payment. The kitchen was a total mess. I contacted a solicitor in January 2004 and have still not got things sorted. We have had a surveyor's report and found over 40 things (some major) needing completing. This is still ongoing and I will have been with out a kitchen for a third Christmas. What is the name of your builder. Could it be the same one?

[SUE4U 10]

Has anyone had any trouble with a builder recently? If you have please contact me. I have lost a lot of money through choosing a cowboy builder and hope no-one else gets caught out like me.

[Lozzylozenge 10]

yep my mom and dad have just been scammed big time with some idiot excuse for builders!!

 

hmmmm......Hillsborough??......Wonder if it was the same company??!!!

[Snook 10]

Don't employ any bald builders named sam... that's my tip!

[SUE4U 10]

Thanks for your reply. I cannot name him online as we may be going to court soon, but does he come from Chapeltown?

[Sara 10]

Originally posted by bonny

Yes please! Can you pm me the deatils as I am currently taking a builder to court also and this is my nextstep. As I assume I will not be compensated (he will ignore my actions) I will willingly take steps to make life uncomfortable for him. I have receipts from my bank as I always transferred the money into his "bogus tax dodge account". I also have a number of other "victims "who can support my info.

 

Slow down, wait, the Revenue are preferential creditors, see if you can get your money first then grass him up otherwise once HMRC have finished with him there will be nothing left for you. As I said before, revenge is a dish best served cold

[Mo 10]

Don't see a problem with this thread so long as builder is not named.

 

I have had similar experience.

 

You need to give the builder opportunity to put things right. Put this in writing and keep a copy. Tell him that he has x weeks to complete the works to a satisfactory standard. At this point you have 2 options, either;

 

1. Get quotes from other builders, have them do the work and then persue the original builder for the costs via the small claims court. This of course involves you stumping up more money.

 

2. Take your original builder to court for all costs incurred, for the costs of rectifying the works and maybe even compensation. This is what I did. No money up front but you have to live with mess about the house for longer.

 

Prepare for a long hard slog. Even if judgement goes in your favour you still have to get the money out of your builder. We had to wait best part of a year as monies were paid in instalments.

 

Good Luck.

[Mo 10]

Originally posted by bonny

I have receipts from my bank as I always transferred the money into his "bogus tax dodge account". I also have a number of other "victims "who can support my info.

 

I could be wrong here but wouldn't you be considered to be guilty of aiding him in his tax fiddle if you paid into what you knew to be a dodgy account?

[fnkysknky 10]

Originally posted by erb666

it may be the stable door and horse thing but, never pay any tradesmen for anything until the work is completed to your satisfaction.

 

That's only going to work if it's labour only. If the tradesman is supplying anything then 9 times out of 10 they'll need money to cover it beforehand - we/they don't tend to do credit as it's a sure fire way to screw your cash flow and business up

[mega_monty 10]

Originally posted by fnkysknky

That's only going to work if it's labour only. If the tradesman is supplying anything then 9 times out of 10 they'll need money to cover it beforehand - we/they don't tend to do credit as it's a sure fire way to screw your cash flow and business up

 

But how are people to know if your a genuine tradesman or not, from past experience I'm very reluctant to give any money up front.

 

I've had builders milking cash then go and make a total bodge job, then claim they've had tools pinched etc then try and get you to compensate them by asking for more money, when challenged over the quality of their work, bugger off and refuse to return or speak to you and hold keys to the property as a ransome, which involved getting the locks changed etc.

 

Reading posts on here and from personal experience I can only come to the conclusion that a good number of builders are cowboys

[wendygs 10]

Originally posted by Plain Talker

Get in touch with trading standards,and take their advice, and, if he claimed to be part of any guild or organisation (eg master builders or whatever) then report him to them, too.

 

that's my two-penn'orth, FWIW

 

PT

 

Chance would be a fine thing; their lines are solidly engaged; they never answer the other number so unless you have a council email address or are on their not to be ignored list because for example you've had the good sense to inform them you're seriously disabled in a wheelchair or somat you'll be lucky to get a reply out of them other than perhaps an acknowledgement along the lines of we're dealing with your query and will reply in due course.

[fnkysknky 10]

Originally posted by mega_monty

But how are people to know if your a genuine tradesman or not, from past experience I'm very reluctant to give any money up front.

 

I've had builders milking cash then go and make a total bodge job, then claim they've had tools pinched etc then try and get you to compensate them by asking for more money, when challenged over the quality of their work, bugger off and refuse to return or speak to you and hold keys to the property as a ransome, which involved getting the locks changed etc.

 

Well you can ask to see their cover note for public liability insurance - anyone working in someone elses house should have this cover, it's not essential by law but any proper tradesman will have it.

 

If they are VAT registered you can check their VAT number is real but most sole traders won't go over the VAT threshold.

 

You can ask for references from previous customers and check them if need be.

 

Of course you can always go down the route of only using tradesmen who have been recommended by people you know.

 

Genuine tradesmen have to ask for money up front as well as the dodgy ones, most of us are sole traders or partnerships and only earn enough to cover our costs and a wage - we don't have thousands sitting around to purchase customers materials with, I wish I did! The other way of looking at it is what if a tradesman goes and spends £2000 on materials for a customer only to turn up at the job and the customer telling them they don't want it doing anymore - it does happen.

 

My accountant tells me to stay away from offering credit - it will only cause problems and as you can see from the massive debt problem this country has - he's right. Small businesses can't afford to.

 

The last thing to remember is always get a job down in writing and signed by both parties before work is started - that way you both know what is required by either side and it serves well to resolve any disputes.