Ongoing issue with a garage roof fitter.

AdamPD

Hi all,

I seem to be a freaking magnet for bad traders it seems.

I had 4 people come out to quote me for replacing a leaking garage roof.

I settled on a quote for - "Total cost is £1800+ VAT"

The two guys came, they removed the old roof, they put a new roof on, it looks good, so no issues there, but it was unfinished.
The siding (the white panels that go around the edge of the roof) isn't properly finished on the corners (There are no corner pieces on each corner).
Additionally, the power and utility cables that go from my bungalow across to the garage, are sagging, because they used to be attached to the side of the garage with a steel tension cable to keep them taught.
Another issue was the original £1800 + VAT was not the final price, they apparently needed new wooden batons to replace the old and I had to pay extra for those (another £724.35).
So the total price came to £3,029.22

He/they were supposed to come back on the 2nd of November to finish the corners off, but never turned up
I chased it, multiple times and there's always been an excuse (Emergencies, overwhelmed with work etc).
So I emailed him again today as it's been a month since the roof was put on, yet again another excuse, this time he's apparently injured his ankle and is going to be out of work for 4-6 weeks.
Being the suspicious sort I decided to see if I could find out if this was true.
To my surprise to find he had posted a sky diving video on his public Facebook page just yesterday, walking ok, no obvious injury.

I don't think he has any intention of coming back and I really don't know why, but it needs to be done, as the panel is bowing outwards on the front corner and needs to be capped with a corner section.

Any advice would be appreciated!

Ergates

Have you paid him ?

AdamPD

I have, yes.
He was paid in full around the 3rd of November.

Anthony147

Given he / they have been paid in full before finishing - There’s no incentive apart from reputation / pride in work to come back.

That means your choices are somewhat limited and the usually advised course of action is:
Retry contact with a timescale to complete outstanding issues

Following that things get increasingly negative:
Name the company on sites like this - ensuring you recount factual information

Honest review of the work and experience across sites they advertise on
Share your experience across your entire social sphere - (six degrees of separation)
Letter before action
Moneyclaim for the rectification costs

Unfortunately for the foreseeable future - Trades are so busy, good or otherwise there’s no shortage of work and the comeback on poor work is very limited.

AdamPD

Thanks, Anthony, yea it does seem to be the case (regarding comeback).
Had a very expensive kitchen fitted last year and it's got numerous problems, but the contractor just doesn't respond to contact.
Two bad traders in a year.
I've got a new side gate being fitted in a couple of weeks, hopefully, that actually goes well.

AdamPD

2 and a bit years later I suddenly got an email from Yelp saying:

==

"Words that are considered to be defamatory = This review is on my old soul trader account. I am now a limited company and this is causing affection to my business.

Words are defamatory because... = All work carried out at this property was done to a very high standards. Unfortunately the customer wanted extra work done for free. We did refuse as we explain to him but still decided put up a poor review. I want this removed.

Words are untrue because... = To ask a builder for extra work to be done for free is unacceptable. We carried out all work to a very high standards and completed everything we were paid "
==

Good thing I kept the email conversation I guess

Anthony147

So probably a good idea to say who it is that didn’t and hasn’t completed your work but has had full payment - subject to name and shame rules of MSE so any searches have this thread in results.

AdamPD

Individual was Chris Prior of C And M Roofing And Plumbing Ltd

I sent him an email about the Yell review, no response so far, but Yell did reinstate the review.

Hi Chris,

I must admit to being surprised to receiving a defamation email from Yell about a review I left for yourself back in 2021.

I was even more surprised to learn I had apparently requested work done for free and that you had apparently told me no.

Do you keep copies of email exchanges with customers? Because I have a copy of our entire exchange, not once did I request free work and not once did you say no

In fact, if you recall, you promised to do the corners of my garage multiple times and every time, you failed to do so.

If you'd just come back to finish off those 4 corners and reattach the cable, that review would've been amended and/or removed.

I had to pay someone else to reattach the cable and put a corner piece on one corner, as driving rain was getting in.

If you want to come back and finish what was paid for, you're welcome to and I'll amend the review in question.

Adam 

Thank you for providing additional information we requested in respect of the review which you posted on the Yell.com listing for ‘C And M Roofing And Plumbing Ltd’.

 We are satisfied with the information you have provided, and your review is being maintained.