Mental health and lack of fulfilment of installation of bathroom suite.

ElleGee5122

In August I paid a deposit (£1500) towards the cost of a bathroom suite being installed on an agreed date of 29th November with a local company. At the time I had very recntly lost my mum and was not as thorough in checking the company background and paying via credit card as I would normally have been. I paid by bank transfer and received a receipt and an agreed date but no official contract. 
On 8th November I tried to contact the company to check the installation was going ahead and found that they had disappeared from Facebook and their website no longer existed. Through some tracking down I managed to find the directors and contacted them who told me that they were just really inundated with business and couldn't keep up with the demands of Facebook and their website. Alarm bells started ringing at this point and I contacted Consumer Advice Scotland who advised that I was able to ask for a refund because they had not given us a formal contract which consitutes an unfair business practice. 
I sent a recorded delivery letter to the company stating this and I was told that the installation was going ahead but would be one week later than planned due to staff absence. I was unsure of this but my partner said we should give them a chance or we would have to wait longer for another company to do the installation. 
At the end of last week I contacted them to ask if the installation was starting this week and on Saturday received an email to say that one of the directors has been sectioned under the mental health act and that all planned work had been suspended. 
I then started to do some digging into the company and found that their business was struck off by Companies House on 22nd June, yet they started a new business with only 1 word changed in their name on the 8th July. Further research has led me to finding out that the director's brother has had 8 different businesses in his name in the last 10 years and has been in the newspapers for damage to a couple's extension at a cost of £50,000. 
In hindsight I know that I have made mistakes, partly due to not thinking clearly whilst still in the depths of grief, but I want to know where I stand now. 
While I am sympathetic to mental health issues, I cannot help but think this is a scam to get them out of bother. It is very frustrating to know that a business can be struck off yet can start trading again within a couple of weeks. How can this be allowed? 

This is causing me sleepless nights and anxiety and I really want some answers before my mental health becomes much more damaged by it. 

Thanks in advance. 

another_casualty

Have you spoken to your bank ?
Sorry to hear about your  mother and your situation . 

Sounds like you've been a victim of scum  rogue traders . 

I would say contact your bank asap . Then report them to local newspaper etc
Plus leave negative feedback everywhere .
Small claims court also , although it sounds like the " company " doesn't exist anymore.
Thankfully you never lost a lot more , but hopefully bank may step in . 

You may be able to name and shame on here , but see what other say .

Others should be along shortly to help .

Mistral001

When did the Ltd Company cease trading?  

ElleGee5122

They ceased trading on 22nd June then created a new business with the word 'construction' instead of building in the name on 8th July. We placed the order on 17th August. They have not officially said that they have ceased trading again, merely that there is a mental health issue which has prevented them fufilling the agreed date and that refunds cannot be given at present as the director with access to them has been sectioned. 

another_casualty

What did the bank say ? 

ElleGee5122

I submitted an intial claim via their website but it was rejected as it wasn't paid by card. Will try to call them and speak to someone though. 

Doozergirl

What does your invoice say?  Who invoiced you?  The Ltd company that didn't exist?  That's fraud. 

Speak to trading standards.  You're not going to be the only one suffering here.  

The mental health thing isn't a totally unreasonable suggestion - people do strange things after all,
but crooks will say anything and that isn't as bad as blatantly stealing money.   Neither of those means you shouldn't be entitled to try and seek some kind of recompense.  I just don't know what that is if you've been invoiced by an entity that doesn't exist.  

Mistral001

Have you asked for your money back from this firm?  If you have not done this then do it as soon as possible if that is what you want rather than to wait until the firm is in a position to start the work.  

ElleGee5122

Yes, sent a recorded delivery letter asking for a refund and they said that they were going to do it. Sent another one recorded delivery at the end of last week and the 2nd director said it is only the one who has mental health issues who has access to the accounts so they can't return the money just now. 

Doozergirl

ElleGee5122 said:

Yes, sent a recorded delivery letter asking for a refund and they said that they were going to do it. Sent another one recorded delivery at the end of last week and the 2nd director said it is only the one who has mental health issues who has access to the accounts so they can't return the money just now. 

Yeah, that's BS.  

ElleGee5122

The invoice came from the company who are still listed as an 'active' company but since early November when I tried contacting them have disappeared aside from being contactable via text message and this has been sporadic.