We've been had

Gwenrose

I used to sit and watch those programmes where home owners were stitched up by cowboy builders and plumbers and would say how could they have been taken in.

Well, we were victims of cowboys.
We had some ceilings plastered in the bungalow we've just moved into and it was a very good job, when we said we were looking for a plumber to put in our new shower enclosure, electric shower, toilet and sink, this guy said he knew some one who was retired but still kept his hand in and did a brilliant job. So we took him at his word, how stupid could we have been.

We now have a pivot shower door that will not close properly because the shower tray is not perfectly level:eek:
A toilet that leaks from the elbow because we bought a close coupled system and he dug up the floor to move the toilet back, because he said the new toilet could not be fitted unless he did it that way. Then fitted god knows what piping in the floor before setting the toilet in place:mad:

We now have to dig up the floor to see what he has messed up and sort it ourselves. As the problem with the toilet started one week after he had been paid cash in hand, he is not interested in sorting the problem out and realy we would rather not have him back.

So we will have to take the shower enclosure apart and sort the tray out and enclosure.
The idea was that just for once in our lives, we had just a little bit of money left over from the sale of our last house to pay for some one else to do it rather than struggle to do it ourselves.

The plasterer also said he did tiling and it would look very professional, what a joke, I tiled the bathroom at our last house better myself, it looks dreadful

We have been so stupid and I've shed so many tears over it I'm exhausted from crying. These two cowboys have turned what should have been our dream bungalow into a nightmare. The so called plumber said he could do our central heating, thank god we turned him down.

I looked in at a bungalow just up the road where they have just had the bathroom doen by a proper tiler and plumber, it looks so beautiful.

Take my advice, always try to see what there work is like before you let them into your home, we are now out of pocket and left with one horrible lot of problems to sort out and I'm feeling totally depressed

andrew-b

Or take my advice...get reading up on jobs you want to do then DIY them! Then you can trust yourself to mess it up rather than trusting AND paying someone to !!!!!! it up for you!
I learnt the hard way too ..now i DIY all i can! Most trades aren't rocket science...contrary to what many will have you believe!

misgrace

Sorry to read your post, unfortunately a lot of people get caught out like this, so your not alone. {{{{hugs}}}}

Chippy_Minton_2

I take it you've held a portion of the payment back pending snagging?

Canucklehead

Good evening: an unfortunate turn of events....as I have said on this forum many times, always get more than one written, full specification quote from trades recommended to you by a source you trust, check qualifications/registrations eg.for gas Gas Safe Register , for oil OFTEC ,for plumbing CIPHE etc. If possible, see examples of his/her work. The Planning Portal is an excellent and accurate source of info on building works , an individual's responsibilities etc.

Many tradespersons post on this forum and provide advice based on years of training and experience...it is a sad state of affairs that occasionally individuals express opinions which denigrate the skills and aptitude required of a skilled tradesperson and suggest that trades only post for personal gain For me and my OH helping folks out on this forum is reward enough.;)

Next time you're conducting building works on your property post here as the horse has already bolted on this one.

HTH

Canucklehead

[Deleted User]

Gwenrose, I just wanted to say I really feel for you. We've just bought a new house and are in the process of figuring what to do to the current one to get it ship-shape and ready to sell. I keep coming back to "lets just do it ourselves" simply because I don't know who to trust.

All I can say by way of consolation is that you WILL get your house looking lovely and in time you'll forget all about this heartache. Once it's behind you the bad memory will fade.

As for what Canucklehead says - even if tradespeople do post for personal gain they're still offering a very worthwhile service. For example, I would LOVE the opportunity to pick the brains of a tradesperson on an open forum BEFORE hiring them to do work in my house. I get the opportunity to get a feel for the type of person they are and other knowledgeable people are bound to pick up on anything that does sound right (i.e. quotes too high, bad recommendations etc). I see nothing wrong with people giving free advice for personal gain in this way.

bambibashercol

I have to agree as a tradesman myself, i post on here with the intension of helping people.
Unfortunatley Diy work or using none qualified people can end up costing more as you are finding out now. I wish you the best of luck and i know it's stinging a bit.
You should always ring round and get 3 quotes ask friends and family for recommendations. If i was you i would also speak to the guy that plastered your ceiling as he should not recommend his friend in future.

booty40uk

Hi

I completely agree with canucklehead and bambibashercol. Always get at least 3 quotes with references and at the very least, call the references and where possible look at the workmanship. Always try to get people who have been recommended to you by people you trust.

Things like this also make it so hard for reputable tradesmen like myself. There is nothing worse than giving an estimate or quote to someone who has been ripped off in the past. Unfortunately, we all seem to get tarred with the same brush because of a few bad eggs.

I wish you the best of luck with your bungalow, and if you need advise, post here and myself and many others will gladly help you as much as we can.

Andy

misgrace

Canucklehead wrote: »

Many tradespersons post on this forum and provide advice based on years of training and experience...it is a sad state of affairs that occasionally individuals express opinions which denigrate the skills and aptitude required of a skilled tradesperson and suggest that trades only post for personal gain For me and my OH helping folks out on this forum is reward enough.;)

Canucklehead

Well said.:D

Clive_Woody

Gwenrose wrote: »

I used to sit and watch those programmes where home owners were stitched up by cowboy builders and plumbers and would say how could they have been taken in.

Well, we were victims of cowboys.
We had some ceilings plastered in the bungalow we've just moved into and it was a very good job, when we said we were looking for a plumber to put in our new shower enclosure, electric shower, toilet and sink, this guy said he knew some one who was retired but still kept his hand in and did a brilliant job. So we took him at his word, how stupid could we have been.

We now have a pivot shower door that will not close properly because the shower tray is not perfectly level:eek:
A toilet that leaks from the elbow because we bought a close coupled system and he dug up the floor to move the toilet back, because he said the new toilet could not be fitted unless he did it that way. Then fitted god knows what piping in the floor before setting the toilet in place:mad:

We now have to dig up the floor to see what he has messed up and sort it ourselves. As the problem with the toilet started one week after he had been paid cash in hand, he is not interested in sorting the problem out and realy we would rather not have him back.

So we will have to take the shower enclosure apart and sort the tray out and enclosure.
The idea was that just for once in our lives, we had just a little bit of money left over from the sale of our last house to pay for some one else to do it rather than struggle to do it ourselves.

The plasterer also said he did tiling and it would look very professional, what a joke, I tiled the bathroom at our last house better myself, it looks dreadful

We have been so stupid and I've shed so many tears over it I'm exhausted from crying. These two cowboys have turned what should have been our dream bungalow into a nightmare. The so called plumber said he could do our central heating, thank god we turned him down.

I looked in at a bungalow just up the road where they have just had the bathroom doen by a proper tiler and plumber, it looks so beautiful.

Take my advice, always try to see what there work is like before you let them into your home, we are now out of pocket and left with one horrible lot of problems to sort out and I'm feeling totally depressed

This wouldn't be in the Sussex area would it?

keystone

I have to agree with what everyone else has said people like this make me extremely cross and I do feel sorry for you. Having said that 2 of the three problems you mention must have been obvious before you he left - particularly the tiling. Why on earth did you pay him if you were not happy with his work? How much this clown charge as a matter of interest?

You say he is not interested in sorting it out - well no probably because you have paid him. So what recourse do you have? You have to pursue him or forget it IMO.

You could complain to Trading Standards. They will not intervene directly between the to of you but should come and inspect the work and advise you what to do.

Have you got an invoice from him? Cash or not you should have done. If you do not have an invoice you could dob him in to the Inland Revenue 'cos I bet cash in hand he won't have declared it.

What name does he trade under? Have you got his Public Liability Insurance details?

Having said that and whether you want him back under your roof or not then its time to get a bit sneaky. You can always suggest directly and also via the plasterer (yes you can lean on him through that route as well) that you might contact Trading Standards or you might contact the Inland Revenue if he does not make proposals within a fixed timescale for either compensating you financially or having the work corrected at his expense.

Have a think about it but really he shouldn't be allowed to get away with it.

Cheers