External Insulation supplier potentially gone out of business

ash_090909

Hello,

Hope people might be able to help with advice on where I can / need to go next with the following situation.

We agreed, signed a contract and paid a deposit with with a company to supply and install external insulation to our property.

At the time of agreeing, they were on trust-a-trader, check-a-trade and the reviews were generally good.

We had one follow up call to say the fitters would be in contact with us to arrange a detailed view of the property (something that was explained at the time), but no call was ever received.

We then had an email from the company to say the fitters (contractors) they had been using were no longer going to be used, but we would have a call within a week from the new contractors.

Again, no phone call was received.

I have emailed the company numerous times and had no reply (but no bounce back from the email addresses). I have tried calling and their numbers are no longer in service.

A google search of the company says it is permanently closed, but on their own website and companies house there is no sign that they have stopped trading.

While I plan to go through the right ombudsman and the dispute ombudsman, I just wondered if anyone has any advise other than this.

I have not put the company name here for now, as not sure the 'legal' side of that, but can supply it I guess if needed.

Many Thanks

Richard

TELLIT01

How was the deposit paid?  Credit card, Debit card, etc.

ash_090909

TELLIT01 said:

How was the deposit paid?  Credit card, Debit card, etc.

Bank transfer to their business account.

Aylesbury_Duck

ash_090909 said:

TELLIT01 said:

How was the deposit paid?  Credit card, Debit card, etc.

Bank transfer to their business account.

Ouch.  I suspect that means that you're in the queue of creditors if they have gone into administration.  Had you paid by card, then in the event of business administration there would be a way of recovering the deposit.

Hopefully they're just offline for a while, rather than in trouble.

Grumpy_chap

ash_090909 said:

Hello,

Hope people might be able to help with advice on where I can / need to go next with the following situation.

We agreed, signed a contract and paid a deposit with with a company to supply and install external insulation to our property.

At the time of agreeing, they were on trust-a-trader, check-a-trade and the reviews were generally good.

We had one follow up call to say the fitters would be in contact with us to arrange a detailed view of the property (something that was explained at the time), but no call was ever received.

We then had an email from the company to say the fitters (contractors) they had been using were no longer going to be used, but we would have a call within a week from the new contractors.

Again, no phone call was received.

I have emailed the company numerous times and had no reply (but no bounce back from the email addresses). I have tried calling and their numbers are no longer in service.

A google search of the company says it is permanently closed, but on their own website and companies house there is no sign that they have stopped trading.

While I plan to go through the right ombudsman and the dispute ombudsman, I just wondered if anyone has any advise other than this.

I have not put the company name here for now, as not sure the 'legal' side of that, but can supply it I guess if needed.

Many Thanks

Richard

Welcome to the forum.

How did you make the payment for the deposit?  This may affect the remedies open to you.

Does the company have a trading address where you can visit in person?  At first, just to walk past and see whether they are still operating in some fashion.

born_again

@Grumpy_chap

bank transfer. Op said twice 🤦‍♀️

ash_090909

Thanks for the replies all, been really useful.

@Grumpy_chap, unfortunately it was a bank transfer, so certainly limits our options.  I have not been to the offices, but someone left a review on one review sites that said they had been, and the office was closed, they spoke to the building manager, and he confirmed they were gone, while owing rent, so looked like that was going to confirm things.

The yesterday got a call from another company basically saying the one I was dealing with has gone bankrupt, and they are trying to pick up any business they can from the left over customers, which then confirmed my worries.

So I am going to have to join the probably long list of people owed money and apply to the administrators.

My only question now is, is there a way to find out who the administrators are?

There website is still showing as if they were in business, and Companies House say they are active too.  No joy from email or phone calls as they are answered / disconnected, so am at a bit of a loss.

Thanks again everyone.

born_again

ash_090909 said:

Thanks for the replies all, been really useful.

@Grumpy_chap, unfortunately it was a bank transfer, so certainly limits our options.  I have not been to the offices, but someone left a review on one review sites that said they had been, and the office was closed, they spoke to the building manager, and he confirmed they were gone, while owing rent, so looked like that was going to confirm things.

The yesterday got a call from another company basically saying the one I was dealing with has gone bankrupt, and they are trying to pick up any business they can from the left over customers, which then confirmed my worries.

So I am going to have to join the probably long list of people owed money and apply to the administrators.

My only question now is, is there a way to find out who the administrators are?

There website is still showing as if they were in business, and Companies House say they are active too.  No joy from email or phone calls as they are answered / disconnected, so am at a bit of a loss.

Thanks again everyone.

So how did they get hold of the details...

Odds on it being the same lot, just set up trading again?

ash_090909

I did wonder that @born_again.

They are coming round to check the property and if they could do the work for the outstanding balance.  While I have no intention of using them for the work, I wanted them to come round and get answers to those types of questions.  Thought it would be easier face to face.