Kitchen Fitter messed up and disappeared

robhav

I hired a kitchen fitter to fit my solid oak worktops from Ikea - he came on recommendation from someone I trust. He works for a large building company and fits kitchens all day long. He was doing the job as a foreigner in the evenings. The first thing he did was cut one of the long pieces 200 mm too short. He said he would replace it if I wanted him to but he would like to have a go at rejoining it first using biscuit joints. I said ok and off he went to rejoin it. Two days later he comes back and says he is not happy with the join. I take a look and he has joined it using worktop clamps and no biscuits. It looked okay and as I wanted the job done and it was going to be hidden underneath a unit anyway I just told him to get on with the job.

He got on with it and finished the bottom part of our U shaped worktop. He then made some excuse about his daughter and left rather quickly. I thought nothing of it until I realised he had cut the female part of the butt and scribe joint on both ends 15mm too long. He complained when doing this as the Ikea worktop is 620 mm and he didn’t have a jig with 620 on it. He is used to dealing with Howdens. I phoned him up and he said he was going to come round the next evening to take a look. He never showed and isn’t answering my calls. It has been two weeks now.

In the mean time I have replaced the worktop he messed up at a cost of £130 and done the job myself (I had to spend a few hundred on tools in order to do this). I didn’t pay him anything but in my mind he owes me £130.

I have tried using different phones to call him on and still no answer or reply to my messages. I contacted the guy who recommended him and he can’t contact him either.

I’m not sure what to do now. I suppose the first thing to do is try and find out if he is still alive or not. He told me which street he lives on and he drives a big red van so shouldn’t be too hard to find.

Any advice would be welcome.

madeane

Put your complaint in writing and give him fourteen days to compensate you for your loss. I would outline at the start of the letter the conditions that you agreed with him, but then let him know that you no longer wish him to continue with the work (I cannot imagine that you do!!) then see what his response is. If you take a formal approach then he may well just pay up. You can then take him through small claims if you do not wish to write it off!

jason_s_2

Out of interest what was he charging you to fit the work tops?

robhav

£150

Included 3 butt and scribe joints and sink cut-out.

ukwoody

Since it seems you were trying to do this on the cheap by paying cash in hand in the evenings,and encouraging tax evaision, you will have very little if no legal comeback. You have no official agreement, he does not run his own company by the sound of it and he doesn't have a reputation as such to worry about. If he works all the time for one large comapny he will either be on the books or fiddling his income by not really being self-employed. The price is very cheap for that amount of work.

This is why many tradespeople refuse to do work cash in hand. We value our reputation and it is that that we survive on. It undervalues us, gives you no redress and comesback on places such as this as "Tradesmen always rip you off".
ALWAYS go to a reputable person who puts it through his books so you have legal and personal redress in instance such as this.
woody

jason_s_2

To be honest rob, i've got to agree with woody. As there's no written agreement or contract, you haven't got that safety cushion.

robhav

I tried to find a tradesman to do the job - I tried for several weeks. I could not find anyone interested in doing the job. They all wanted to fit the kitchen as well - they didn't want to do just a worktop. He was the only person I could find to do the job and he did come through a reccomendation. I would have preferred to use a tradesman as the job would have been done in a day - instead I have been messing about for weeks. I would have also payed more to get it done. I was left with no choice in the end as I needed the worktop doing.

What I should have done is done the job myself in the first place but finding the time is very difficult.

ukwoody

Rob, I do understand, and perhaps it seems I'm a bit harsh, I'm not, but we get to hear of this all the time. Nearly allways when I hear of people having jobs done on the cheap, cash in hand, hobbles, call it what you will, the story is often the same. It took longer, cost more in the end and, it was done incorrectly. There is a reason why tradesmen charge the rates they do. It means we can afford to take that little bit longer, and do the job correctly with the proper tools and sufficient experience.
It can be a problem nowdays getting trades to do those small jobs, i accept that, but PLEASE take heed from this and try to avoid finding yourself in this situation again.
Good luck

Woody

madeane

Agree with Woody and Jase S, but still I would try to get the money back by a formal approach, you never know he may pay up!!

I am afraid with people's finances today people are trying to cut corners, this website is a testament to that fact but I would not encourage doing that on major purchases for your home, it can backfire as it has in this case. I am sure that those telling you that this is not a good idea are now preaching to the converted.

In defence of tradesmen not interested in smaller jobs there is more often than not good reason for it. People will often want to do part or most of the job themselves and then call the tradesman in for the most difficult part, however, when the tradesman arrives there are problems with what the customer has done, making the small job much more difficult or impossible to complete without extra work etc. etc. Now this is may not be the case in your circumstances but I am afraid it is fact. I hope that you get it sorted, and it would be helpful if more real tradesmen were willing to take on smaller jobs, but you can see why this is sometimes not favoured by us.

Canucklehead

Good afternoon: As madeane says, there is a reluctance on the part of trades to get involved in the small jobs for a multitude of reasons. My OH tries to fit the smaller jobs in if the client is willing to supply quality goods for installation:he will recommend quality brands and suppliers as well as present options...in the end this will save the client money. He will not take on the DIY disasters or remedy cowboy bodge jobs for his own sanity:eek:

If regards to trying to recoup your losses,nothing ventured.;)

HTH

Canucklehead

ukwoody

The other problem is that lets say it is a 20 minute job. It takes 20 mins to get there, another 10 mins to get the tools up together and pack them back up again, another 20 mins to get to another job. The cost of diesel. So you say, right Thats a hours labour plus a fiver for deisel and you get "WHATTTTT??? £25 FOR 20 MINS WORK> YOU'RE A RIPPOFF!!!

Sometimes it's not worth the hassel. It's not that we want to charge that much, thats how much it costs us!
Woody