Conned by roofers - Help!

WonderingWhy_2

I have been conned by roofers. This firm was recommended to me in good faith by a friend - But for some reason he decided to con me.

He's taken thousands of pounds of my money. Stole my original slate tiles ans sold them, all he's done is put on roof battens over felt and dissapearred.

He was last here 4 weeks ago, and over three weeks has made 10 promises to turn up and of course hasn't. I feel such a fool. I broke all my own rules about paying up front due to the recommendation and the fact that the friend knew several happy customers, and roofer has been 20 years in the business.

Roofer is impossible to get hold of and communicates by text message, or calling me telling me he will be in tomorrow, two days, three days etc....but never apppears - fobbing me off with lies.

I have now contacted trading standards and I sent a letter recorded delivery. (Despite it being sent 4 days ago recorded Royal Mail cant provide any delivery info stating its 'in transit'). So I am now worried its a fake address!

I have no roof at all. Rain is coming through the ceiling in two rooms, All my original slates are gone, hasnt given me half the materials I paid for and I have all the rubbish from the roof strewn all over my garden. Its really awful.

The scaffolding isnt alarmed and I am terrified to leave the house as my insurance is invalid if left unattended, and, I'm in a high risk area.

I no longer have enough money to pay another roofer to finish the job - as I have paid for 3/4 of the job even though only 1/4 of job is done. I am at my wits end. the weather is changing and I have only felt on the roof.

MY question is, does anyone know if Trading Standards have any teeth? Will he be concerned about their involvement? Some other builders have told me that he wont give a fig if it goes to court. He'll plead poverty and get away with paying a pittance every month until the day I die and will probably stop paying after a few months so I have to go to court again.

I am so stressed by this it has made me ill and I havent slept or eaten properly for three weeks.

Please can anyone urgently give me any advice? How do people deal with these situations?

Please dont tell me I shouldnt have paid him the cash, as I now know this. I need good practical advise please. Thank you.

dreamypuma

Hi

Sorry to hear about your situation. First of all can you visit his postal address to check if it actually exists and if he really lives there? If he does forget waiting for a the recorded delivery letter. Resend the letter Special Delivery Next Day. Recorded is just not reliable enough in my eyes or a definite enough proof of delivery.

Make sure that the letter offers the builder at least Seven Days to get back on site and progress the work. Make clear that after seven days you will seek alternate means of completing the work, and all costs shall be recovered from the roofer through the small claims court. (you may not have the money to alternative contractors in, but he doesn't know this, nor is this a time to show financial vulnerability)

Advise him in the letter that you will also be claiming, for any damage caused to your property that has been caused by his failure to complete his contracted works.

Next contact your home insurance company to see if they offer any protection, under these circumstances. It seems unlikely, but you can ask for free.

Check if your policy offers any legal cover for disputes etc or even free advise.

Other contractors are probably right, the roofer may not be too irked by the prospect of legal action.

Trading standards, in my experience don't have teeth to the initiated rouge trader. However its worth mentioning them.

He may well have been a good contractor in the past, but the economic pressure forces business to re-evaluate how they conduct themselves. Sometime financial pressures on sole traders force them to some desperate measures. It's primeval instinct for survival.

Not sure what else to advise, but hope things work out for you.

browneyedbazzi

Can I ask what area you live in? (ie, which trading standards service you would fall under?)

Trading Standards services vary a lot from place to place and the service you get (and how influenced the rogue will be by their involvement) will depend on where you live. Some TS services pursue prosecutions, get good fines and prison sentences and are very good at negotiating with traders to get recompense for consumers. Other services are a complete waste of space and the breath it takes to explain the problem to them. Sad but true.

WonderingWhy_2

Thank you both Browneyed.. and Dreamy Puma. I really appreciate your replies.

He contacted me tonight by text saying he'd be here tomorrow but I've heard this already a dozen times so I wont be holding my breath. He seems to be playing a sadistic game with me. Feel so overwhelmed by it all.

Browneyed.. Do you have inside knowledge of the good ones? (TS) I realise I have no choice in the matter but I wonder if the office that deals with will be the one that I live in, or the one where he lives?

Dreamy - I will get someone to visit. I think address is on an estate in a cul de sac and I dont want him seeing me.

mo786uk

What you need to bear in mind is that Trading Standards cannot force him to do anything.

What they can do is threaten him with a prosecution (if they can prove he did something illegal) to pressure him into sorting things out for you.

At the same time you can start a civil claim i nthe courts to get hi mto give you some money back etc but as you poitn out if he doesnt want to play ball it could be a waste of time.

Your local TS would be the ones that get your complaint - but action coudl be taken by them or the roofers local TS if he is a problem business in their area. This is fairly basic breach of contract and I cannot see any obvious criminal offences. Many TS departments only pursue criminal offences and don't offer any civil intervention so you may be on your own.


If I was you I would focus first on sorting the roof out one way or the other, and not wait too much on this guy to come back and fix it or TS to get him to come back and fix it as that coudl take a long time.

You shoudl give him an opportunity to rectifythings but looks liek you have doen that.

If you can muter up enough money to have the job finished you can sue the original roofer for the money.

mo786uk

Also if ou want more advice you can ring Consuemr Direct - your query will then automatically be sent to your local TS - but if you need further help or expect them to pursue the builder - make it clear.

trebor21

Begin Small claims procedures.
Add to this contact police for theft of slate tiles!

trebor21

dreamypuma wrote: »

Hi
He may well have been a good contractor in the past, but the economic pressure forces business to re-evaluate how they conduct themselves. Sometime financial pressures on sole traders force them to some desperate measures. It's primeval instinct for survival.
.

Basically theft!

Al1x

I think you have a lot of good advice above but in future don't pay in advance for building work. In my opinion its just asking for trouble

bigpound

Another suggestion.. http://www.channel5.com/shows/cowboy-builders/features/need-us-to-investigate

hcb42

Where is your friend now??!!

Have you got legal protection on home insurance? It might prove useful for making a claim against the roofer?