dodgy workmen - HELP PLEASE!

bcopie

the story:

at the end of january we paid a damp proofer (registered with all the right people) to tank one of our walls. although i asked for a written quote he never sent one saying he would give me one when they started the work. it only took two days but no quote was forthcoming. on the second day i paid in cash (the workman he sent asked for it) and i asked for a reciept. i was spun some story about the loss of the reciept book earlier in the day so i wrote one out and got the workman to sign for it.

damp proofing is normally guaranteed and when he verbally quoted i paid extra to get a guarantee. when i wrote out the reciept i included a mention of the guarantee.

over the next few months i was ringing the company every few weeks to see where the guarantee was. there were various excuses and promises but no guarantee. finally i rang 'soveriegn' who send out the guarantee after the company say they have done the work.

guess what? no record of the work. so i rang the company back and was hung up on and messages i leave do not get returned. 'soveriegn' rang the company on my behalf and they can't ever remember doing the work. 'soveriegn' say they can't do anything (i don't blame them).

what i need to know is if there is anything i can do?

what he has effectivelly done is fraud and theft - should i contact the police?
is the reciept i wrote out and got signed valid?
is there an industry watchdog?
is there a website where i can leave a complaint about them warning other people?
i plan to contact the tax office (as he obviously hasn't paid tax on the job), trading standards and i am planning to the CAB.
Anything else?

i have found a couple of useful things on the forum but wondered about a few others hence this new thread.

thanks for your time

ben

cattie

Probably trading standards would be able to give you advice.

I'm shocked that you paid extra for a guarantee, this isn't right, a reputable damp proofing company should offer an insurance backed guarantee as standard.

Really you were silly to let them start work without having a written quote first. That should have rung alarm bells with you & no reputable company would say you'd get a quote once work started.

There are lots of cowboys out there doing this kind of work & sadly you seem to have encountered one of them.:(

Little_John

Im in a funny mood today. sun has gone to my head.

Where did the guy tie his horse up? and did you put the poop on your garden?

OddjobKIA

There are sadly many sories like this appearing on the boards People must get a written quote and a reciept Im afriad I cant help you on this particular prob but others about to get work done please learn from the hundreds of posters that have been shafted.

Wig

Contact trading standards,

Sorry but you should not have paid up without a headed paper reciept.

But the reciept you do have is valid as proof that the little man took your money, hopefully he used his correct signature, you should have told him to write it out. You should have asked for proof of his ID and put his name on the reciept...otherwise pay nothing but you now know all this.

Police might be interested as this man has taken money for the company, and the company lying about not doing the work would be fraud in the eyes of the police, whether they get off their backsides and actually help you is a different matter.