Small Claims Court guide

Hello

I hope someone can help me regarding my treatment by Money Claims Online.

I'm a self employed Interior Designer- I needed a carpenter to complete some work on my behalf for a client I was employed by. The short version of this is: the carpenter quoted for the job, together we worked out the costing and he submitted an invoice to the client for the cost of the materials. He received the money and over a period of several months was 'working on the project' in his workshop and promising an installation date. He was very convincing and strung us along, then kept putting the date back. Eventually he quit admitting her hadn't done the work and stated in texts and emails he would return the money. Obviously he hasn't done that.

I made my claim online on behalf of the clients who were not happy the delays and the subsequent cost to them to get the work done. I felt I was unable to a: charge them for my services and b: the £70 for the claim. I stated the home address as the one on the invoice the carpenter submitted.

5/6 weeks later the claim was returned to me opened and someone had written 'never lived at this address'. MCOL then said there was nothing more that could be done.

I contacted them via telephone as I had found another address when i googled his phone number. He had since been removed from MyBuilder.com for previous bad conduct (nothing to do with me) and had no other details online. I was advised that as I had an alternative address for him that they had put my claim on hold so it wouldn't time out. I filled out the form again with the new address and posted it.

5/6 weeks later it was returned to me saying it had 'timed out' and to pay a further fee to continue.

I called them to explain that I had been advised to resend as it had been put on hold by a member of staff previously. They then took a week to listen back to the phone calls and confirm that the claim HAD NOT been put on hold as advised. They then called to tell me that it was their mistake and to post it off again.

Which I did.

5/6 weeks later it was returned to me. The claim had timed out again.

I called them again and asked to speak to someone in charge as my faith in this company, to do the job it claimed it was there to do, was understandably no-more. This took several attempts as they repeatedly say they'll do things and they dont. I called again a few days later as no-one had made contact. They said they would sort that out.

Whilst I was on another call- someone from management left a voicemail saying "the mistake was their s and to send the claim off again. This neither answered my questions nor allayed my fears about their repeatedly incompetence. I then had to call back to ask that person to call me again and have an actual conversation with me. Each call takes min 20 mins to got through.

Eventually a 'manager' called, he apologised and said the claim woulld be personally pushed through by himself. I asked for him to email me- detailing all the mistakes they'd made and the timeline. I received a 1 line email admitting to their mistakes. I wanted this to show they clients that due to the fact the whole process had taken 6 months thus far. The one line email was not what I was looking for.

I sent the claim off AGAIN and 2 weeks later emailed the manager to check he'd received the claim, as i had personally addressed it for his special attention, and see where it was at. I never received an email back.

i called them again- they said they'd never received the form.

I asked them to send me a new form and to get the manager to call me. The manager hasn't called.

I have since received a standard email, " i see that you recently contacted MCOL help desk, I now trust your query has been resolved'

MY MIND IS BLOWN!!!!!!!!

How can these people charge for this 'service'?

Someone please help. I am being shafted from 3 different angles. I'm thoroughly exhausted by the whole process.