Help trace a workman

jord79 · 11 June 2017 at 8:11PM

I am wondering if anyone can give me advice.

In January I had a bathroom installed. We purchased the furnishings and employed someone to install it. My wife is allergic to dust so we decided to take our annual holiday at the same time. My son lives at home with his GF so there was someone in the house to deal with things.
The fitter was found on gumtree and he also advertises on yell.com
To cut a long story short, he damaged furnishings, left us with half a bathroom in a complete mess and left a leak which has damaged our living room.
5 months on and the bathroom is in the same condition. The fitter has avoided all contact.

I have his first name, tel number, a possible address, a trading name and a vehicle registration number (he is selling his vehicle on gumtree).
To take the matter to a smalls claims court, I need his surname and a definite address which is proving to be difficult to obtain.
Gumtree & Yell are not able to provide me with the info and the police say they can't help me.

Can anyone offer me advice on how to trace a surname?
The property which I believes he lives it is rented via an estate agent and they are unable to provide me with a surname.

illusionek · 11 June 2017 at 8:20PM

If you know his address and first name then you may be lucky and perhals he did not opt out Electoral Roll. I vaguely remember there are some companies selling this type of data. So you could get his full name this way.

marlot · 11 June 2017 at 8:23PM

You can check the address.

Your local Electoral Registration Office will tell you where you can view the current electoral register (it’s often available in libraries). The register will list everyone who’s registered to vote in the local area.

Annie1960 · 11 June 2017 at 9:35PM

You can view both copies of the electoral register. I once checked someone on the opted-out version, and the person at the council let me look through it but stayed with me, as I recall.

The main reason for opting out is to avoid being spammed, but you are still entitled to check.

Good luck with this, You may be interested in making a suggestion on my thread about cowboys about how to stop them doing things like this to consumers.

What would have helped you to avoid having to deal with this mess?

Here is my thread. So far there are many comments from traders basically saying it's the consumer's fault when these things happen, so I am interested in comments from consumers like you who have experienced problems.

http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.php?t=5661305

How did you pay him?

You could also try doing an online search using his telephone number and see if you get any further information that way.

AndyMc..... · 11 June 2017 at 9:40PM

Why not get a friend to go and view the van, his name will be on the V5.

System · 11 June 2017 at 9:45PM

You could email the ad on gumtree and if he replies I think it will show you his email, lots of people use their full names in their email addresses!

jord79 · 11 June 2017 at 11:50PM

Thanks for all the responses.

Replying to his advert selling his van isn't an option because as soon as I ring him, he recognises my voice and hangs up.
Checking the electoral roll is my next option.

So far I have:
Contacted Gumtree & Yell and both refused to give me his surname because of data protection. Both are able to give it to law enforcement but the police have told me it isn't something they can help me with.

Using his business name and telephone number from Yell, I was able to search Google. It took me to a facebook page which has actually been removed. He must have deleted the business page.

I replied to his ad on Gumtree when I was looking for a bathroom fitter and he only ever told me his first name.

His address on Google appears to be a rented flat via rightmove. I am guessing they wouldn't give me his surname either.

The guy has cost me thousands of pounds worth of damage and has still got my door key! I hoped to be able to start the small claims court proceedings today but the money claim online form needs his surname.

gardner1 · 12 June 2017 at 12:08AM

you can pay £3 to dvla Swansea for keepers name and address if you have vehicle registration and make but you have to give them a date when you had accident

andyhop · 12 June 2017 at 5:56AM

What shocks me more is you willingly handed over your house and possessions to a guy called X......

This is a one for Judge Rinder, I doubt anyone else would take it seriously given the neglect on your part...

AndyMc..... · 12 June 2017 at 7:17AM

jord79 wrote: »

Thanks for all the responses.

Replying to his advert selling his van isn't an option because as soon as I ring him, he recognises my voice and hangs up.
Checking the electoral roll is my next option.

So far I have:
Contacted Gumtree & Yell and both refused to give me his surname because of data protection. Both are able to give it to law enforcement but the police have told me it isn't something they can help me with.

Using his business name and telephone number from Yell, I was able to search Google. It took me to a facebook page which has actually been removed. He must have deleted the business page.

I replied to his ad on Gumtree when I was looking for a bathroom fitter and he only ever told me his first name.

His address on Google appears to be a rented flat via rightmove. I am guessing they wouldn't give me his surname either.

The guy has cost me thousands of pounds worth of damage and has still got my door key! I hoped to be able to start the small claims court proceedings today but the money claim online form needs his surname.

That's why I said friend.

Furts · 12 June 2017 at 9:02AM

andyhop wrote: »

What shocks me more is you willingly handed over your house and possessions to a guy called X......

This is a one for Judge Rinder, I doubt anyone else would take it seriously given the neglect on your part...

I am with this - doing a runner and allowing an unknown into your home is the height of irresponsibility. Had you been there and done the common sense approach, then you would have inspected, checked, questioned, tested and hopefully not be in your current situation.

Hopefully you have changed your lock during the last five months. Though your post suggests not.

Going after the small claims route may be difficult. You have said nought about what you intend claiming nor whether your illusive fitter has been paid anything for the work. If you have not paid what is your loss, and how do you quantify this? I accept there was a leak, but this may only represent a coat of emulsion on a wall - we do not know. You have to quantify this loss and define what is a "mess".

Remember a principle with insurance claims - for this could end up being one. Every claimant has a duty of care to mitigate their losses. Have you done so, and have you a solid case to go to Court?

Help trace a workman

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