Delays on new door - our rights

wafmoo

Not sure if this is the right place, but here goes:

Towards the end of July, we asked a builder working at our neighbours to quote us for a new back door..
Our existing door is part glazed wooden, and in very poor condition.
The builder measured up and said the doorway wasn't a standard size ( i had looked a few months ago so knew this )
He came back to us the following day with a quote of £500 and we said go ahead. He said he would get the door ordered/made and should be done within 7-10 days.

This was over 7 weeks ago, and despite a number of texts and phone calls to chase it up we still have no new door. Each time, the builder says he will chase his supplier....

Where do we stand if we phone the builder and tell him not to bother, as a friend of a friend has said he could do it within a week for less money

Thanks

keystone

I rather suspect he may have found out that he can't do it profitably for £ 500 after all so perhaps you should view your friend's alternative offer with a little suspicion.

Anyway, you can't just get out of a contract by telling him not to bother because you would probably be in breach. You need to write to him (no text no email) and give him x days to deliver (suggest 2 weeks as that covers the 7 - 10 days estimate) and fit your new door or you consider that he is in breach of contract. Aftrer the expiry of that period you can then write again and confirm that you are terminating the contract for non-performance - ie the breach is his not yours.

Cheers

ValHaller

What keystone says. Never simply cancel a contract with no notice unless there is an explicit clause which allows this. Always give an opportunity to resolve a problem after which you will regard the contract as cancelled. I would suggest 21 days as your builder will need to impose his own deadline on his supplier. Not that he will - I think keystone is right, he does not want the job - but you do need to make fair allowances.