Parents just been scammed..

London24

Hi, I recently returned from holiday to my mum announcing that her and my dad had 'had their roof done'. They are in their mid 80s and both have ill health. Apparently a roofer (who has repaired the neighbour's roof in the same village) was able to start work immediately. My parents live in a very poor house that has no heating, broken oven, wallpaper peeling from walls. Extremely bad state of repair. They steadfastly refuse to let my siblings and I carry out any work for them, although we're very close and do most other things for them. They told us that they had agreed a price of just under £20k. This was to have their small semi detached roof stripped, insulated and replaced. We then found out my dad had gone to the bank and paid half in cash, upon the roofer's request.  The bank initially refused, my dad then got a 'headed paper' from the company, took it back to the bank, they called the roofer, then my dad travellled all the way home on the bus with it. The roofers have finished, my parent's think they've done a good job and are happy.  They are cagey about why they went ahead with the work and never mentioned it to us, even as I was ringing them from holiday.  They say they have wanted this done for a while, but can't say exactly why - something about wanting a warmer house in Winter. They have used all their savings.
As you can imagine my siblings and I feel sick to our stomachs, and very angry. The company does have a website, good reviews. We feel like there will be repercussions for my parents if we kick off (some digging into the owner has led us to suspect this). We don't want to put them in any danger.
I'm angry with the bank, the Roofers, most of all my parents. I don't want my parents to feel terrible about this new roof, my mum seems especially proud of it, and I don't want to take away that feeling for her. Would you just let it go, my siblings and I are all a little torn as to what we do next? Do I just accept they have been scammed and can't be trusted to make sound financial decisions...? 

Thanks so much for reading, if you've managed to get to the end...

[Deleted User]

London24 said:

Hi, I recently returned from holiday to my mum announcing that her and my dad had 'had their roof done'. They are in their mid 80s and both have ill health. Apparently a roofer (who has repaired the neighbour's roof in the same village) was able to start work immediately. My parents live in a very poor house that has no heating, broken oven, wallpaper peeling from walls. Extremely bad state of repair. They steadfastly refuse to let my siblings and I carry out any work for them, although we're very close and do most other things for them. They told us that they had agreed a price of just under £20k. This was to have their small semi detached roof stripped, insulated and replaced. We then found out my dad had gone to the bank and paid half in cash, upon the roofer's request.  The bank initially refused, my dad then got a 'headed paper' from the company, took it back to the bank, they called the roofer, then my dad travellled all the way home on the bus with it. The roofers have finished, my parent's think they've done a good job and are happy.  They are cagey about why they went ahead with the work and never mentioned it to us, even as I was ringing them from holiday.  They say they have wanted this done for a while, but can't say exactly why - something about wanting a warmer house in Winter. They have used all their savings.
As you can imagine my siblings and I feel sick to our stomachs, and very angry. The company does have a website, good reviews. We feel like there will be repercussions for my parents if we kick off (some digging into the owner has led us to suspect this). We don't want to put them in any danger.
I'm angry with the bank, the Roofers, most of all my parents. I don't want my parents to feel terrible about this new roof, my mum seems especially proud of it, and I don't want to take away that feeling for her. Would you just let it go, my siblings and I are all a little torn as to what we do next? Do I just accept they have been scammed and can't be trusted to make sound financial decisions...? 

Thanks so much for reading, if you've managed to get to the end...

 How is the roof?
 How have they been scammed?

London24

Thanks for reading my rant - they've been overcharged by more than 10k we think, based on other roof replacement costs in the area of Kent that they live, they also paid £2k, included, for insulation (usually a few hundred I'm told). I suppose they were massively overcharged all in all, and they are so obviously vulnerable. The Roofers tell me they paid the quoted price and that's that. 
Actually, that's a good point asking about the roof, as it looks really nice....

pramsay13

So they have had a decent roofing job done but they have paid over the odds for it?
Not much you can do about it now.

[Deleted User]

 Not much you can do then. They were quoted and agreed the price. Work was done. 

London24

You are absolutely right - thank you (you've calmed me down!)

[Deleted User]

20K seems about right to me for the work described.

FlameCloud

I can’t see any scam, only a disappointed child that’s more concerned with losing an inheritance. 

Ectophile

profile/Deleted User said:

20K seems about right to me for the work described.

£20k for a roof strip and repair? Give over.

I only paid a fraction of that to have my roof stripped, rotten timbers repaired, and the whole lot relaid (with extra tiles to make it more weatherproof).

Pollycat

Ectophile said:

profile/Deleted User said:

20K seems about right to me for the work described.

£20k for a roof strip and repair? Give over.

I only paid a fraction of that to have my roof stripped, rotten timbers repaired, and the whole lot relaid (with extra tiles to make it more weatherproof).

Is your house a 'small semi-detached'?

Genuine question - does location have any effect on prices?

Ectophile

Pollycat said:

Ectophile said:

profile/Deleted User said:

20K seems about right to me for the work described.

£20k for a roof strip and repair? Give over.

I only paid a fraction of that to have my roof stripped, rotten timbers repaired, and the whole lot relaid (with extra tiles to make it more weatherproof).

Is your house a 'small semi-detached'?

Genuine question - does location have any effect on prices?

Not particularly small.  It's a standard 3-bedroom semi.  They even did a bit of the neighbour's roof as well, because it was easier that way.