Please advise: panicking re builder

kladoink

Hi
On saturday we gave a builder a cheque for £1500, in part payment for a job that will cost £6k. We said that we were transferring money and that it may take a few days. So he said he wouldn't cash it for a few days.

I've since found a newly posted review that is less than flattering about the standard of his work and his strongarm tactics in getting letters of recommendation and references.

Now I'm panicking as we cannot afford to lose £1500, let alone £6000 on a shoddy job.

As no work has been started, would it be prudent to stop the cheque until we have checked out his references further? Or would that be considered 'bad form'? My husband thinks that if we stop the cheque we have no choice but to end the relationship with him and find someone new to do the work.

I can only find references online to stopping a cheque after work has been done, not before it's started.

I'm very stressed out over this and would love some advice, ti would be much appreciated.

phill99

If you are not happy with the reveiws, then its probably best to end the relationship now. Stop the cheque and say to him you have decided to delay the commencememnt of the work.

If you enter into a contractural relationship with him (which you will do once he starts work), and there is a nagging doubt at the back of you mind, then it will eat you up and you will end up not sleeping etc.

Walk away while you can. Your hunsband is right - you won't really be able to use him in the future, but at least you won't be £6k down on the deal.

tony6403

Stop the cheque. Tell him that you have encountered problems with funding the job ( for personal reasons which you can't discuss ) and that you may not now be able to go ahead.
From what you have discovered , best to distance yourself from this arrangement.
There will be plenty of others who will do the work.

KateLiana27

How happy with him were you before you read the review? Were your gut instincts that this was a competent, trustworthy, reliable person? Or were you using the positive reviews to cover up a niggling sense that something was not quite right, and the negative review has now confirmed your suspicions?

It's a judgment call. Negative reviews can be posted by anyone, from those with personal grudges, dodgy competitors, and dishonest clients. Alternatively they may be right. I would agree with your husband that if you stop the cheque there will be no going back and you'll have to find someone new.

baldelectrician

All I can say is follow your instinct.

As I don't know the specifics I can't give specific advice

booty40uk

I would stop the check and say that you are delaying or cancelling the work. I would also thoroughly check out any future people that you intend to employ before any agreement is reached.

baldelectrician

I notice you checked the builder out on some trade sites

you can also google / bing them (and the owners name and phone number), well worth it.

there's also www.canyoutrustthem.co.uk

and

www.blagger.com

akitabow

I'm sure standard cancellation rights apply (7 days) however a cheque is a promise to pay so stopping it although can be done be careful because he may bill you for costs etc - You have to remember that banks do charge businesses to use their services.
Another thing to bare in mind is that just because one person wrote a bad review doesn't mean that many more are as unhappy. A bad word travels a lot further and louder than a good one. If you're not happy though then you will never be settled even when the work has commenced. I do agree with your hubby though that if you cancel the cheque you should go elsewhere because the relationship will already be sour.

Hope you get it sorted