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Reporting An Unreliable Tradesman

By: Tracy Whitelaw - Updated: 8 Dec 2018 | comments*Discuss
 
Reporting An Unreliable Tradesman

It can be financially and emotional crippling when you realise that your hard-earned cash has been wasted on a rogue tradesman. As the number of 'have-a-go' tradesmen continue to rise in the UK, there are a number of reliable firms popping up that offer advice and help on choosing a reputable tradesman when you need work conducted on your home. If you're unfortunate enough to be one of the people who do end up involved with a rogue trader though, you need to know where to report your grievances in order to ensure nobody else is conned by them.

Talk to the Tradesman First

If things go wrong when you're having work carried out by a tradesman, the first step to try and resolve any issues is to speak to the tradesman. Always give them the chance to put it right and make any complaints known to them initially. Many tradesmen will take this opportunity to try and rectify the situation, as they won't want their reputation being harmed. If you feel that the tradesman isn't listening to your concerns, put them down in writing and give him a deadline. Send the complaint letter to the tradesman's head office, assuming there is one, but remember to always keep a copy of what you sent and when. If you find that there's no resolution through this means, the next step is to report your tradesman.

Citizen's Advice Bureau and Trading Standards

One of the most common places to report an unreliable tradesman is at your local Citizen's Advice Bureau. They will be able to give you advice on your legal status with regards to the work and also whether you may be able to make a claim against your tradesman. They may also be able to offer you some kind of conflict resolution or mediation, so they're definitely worth visiting and can give you advice for free on most occasions. Another possibility is to report your tradesman to Trading Standards. Trading Standards are specifically interested in protecting the rights of consumers against businesses and in ensuring that businesses are within the law and delivering what they promise. You can contact your local branch of Trading Standards and they will give you advice on the next step regarding your unreliable tradesman. They can often provide you with contact details for trade associations or advise on what the best course of action is for you to resolve your dispute with your tradesman. They may even investigate it themselves and keep you updated on the situation.

Reporting to a Trade Association

If your unreliable tradesman is part of a trade association, then you should be covered by their code of conduct. If speaking directly to the tradesman doesn't work, contact their governing body and ask for advice. They will want to uphold the standards of their association so will be keen to investigate anyone they believe to be unreliable. Normally, a trade association will speak to the tradesman on your behalf as well as offer you some kind of arbitration service to try and come to a resolution. They can also get the tradesman back to work if they've left the job unexpectedly. This is one of the reasons that it's important to check your tradesman's credentials before agreeing to any work being carried out - if your tradesman doesn't have a trade association backing him, you're putting yourself in financial danger.

Online Sources and Unreliable Tradesmen

Another option when it comes to reporting unreliable tradesmen is to use the multitude of online resources to warn others about their poor service. Websites such as TradeCheck or associations like TrustMark welcome information about poor tradesmen as they will make sure they spread this knowledge so others can avoid them. A new service from search engine AskAlex has also been introduced where individuals can run an immediate check on businesses to ensure they're reputable. The service is set up in conjunction with Dun & Bradstreet and will cost a mere 7.50GBP to obtain. It will give consumers a star rating for a business, full contact details, any criminal history, profit figures and an overall judgement of the business. This method should be used to avoid rogue tradesman initially, but can also help in your reporting of any unreliable tradesmen. If you do suffer problems with your tradesman, make sure you report them as early as possible - helping other avoid them can at least give you some peace of mind.

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Used Bharti Enterprise Ltd to do my extension the main guy called Dhanji didn't do a good job I got bathroom tiles,which are sticking out nearly 8mm not lined up properly, there is damp in almost all the walls because he didn't use damp proof procedure that he was suppose to use, damp proofing will cost nearly £5000 now and have to take off all the plaster. Finishing on all the job is rubbish and plumbing work done by his plumber named Arvin is rubbish as my underfloor heating doesn't work properly either. I would not recommend this builder and his plasterer or plumber as they are all cowboys
Pinkpanther - 8-Dec-18 @ 5:16 PM
Barry Smith of Brentwood, Essex. This builder gained my trust by doing smaller jobs after I had been let down by other tradespeople. So, I decided to use him for an ensuite extension 2 years later. Unfortunately, he manipulated the trust I had put in him, by taking a regular weekly wage and upfront building materials over a course of 11 weeks. However only 3 stud walls were put up and plastered before he disappeared from the site saying,after a week of silence, that he never quoted for a finished ensuite. Funny that, since we had about an hour's conversation about just that, immediately before I handed him more money for materials that he needed, to FINISH my ensuite. I cannot say I am the victim of poor workmanship, but found someone, who has intentionally set out to extract as much money from me as possible, with very little to show for it. Am I a victim of a crime?I am unsure how I pursue this or even, whether I can.
Shaz - 1-Dec-18 @ 11:31 PM
If you are in Nuneaton area, beware if you come accross Richard Bradshaw. I used him as I thought that the plasterer (very reliable) who took him with him knew him from previous jobs, but it was not the case. Unfortunately it quickly turned out that he is unreliable - doing little everyday, disappearing regularly, doing half jobs. The other issue is that he "ordered" French doors and a window, asked for the money to pay for them (which I gave him) and has found all sorts of excuses for not having them collected and installed. Same issues with material to replace a waste pipe.
Oli - 24-Nov-18 @ 2:32 PM
Well In was Employed by a Company owned whom turned to be Fake. No REGISTERD company Not even UTR nr No Vat, no Tax , but a webpage claiming he can Build homes etc.. where I was told that he only canspray paint. funny thing is Even that He wasn't any Good. As Manager and face of the Company, I felt responsible to provide the best service and had to tell the owner he is not allow to paint. as I didn't trust his work. than The more jobs we got involved with the more I got to see, Well I have reported this to Trading standards. and Called these costumers and Feel really bad as the face of the Company. But even the best of us can be fooled. Thanks to me Getting a huge job" A hotel renovation and them asking for all paperwork, I than was put to demand the documents fro. the owner. and got suspisiouse when the owner mad a comment " sure you can have the documents but I thing the Company is not ready for a big job like that." I than knew that some thing is wrong and made inquiries and found out No UTR No registration on any company, nor Tax Nor Vat. and What pissed me off was NOT EVEN A LIABILITY INSURANCE FOR ANYINE. THATS WHEN I PULLED OUT AND REPIRTED IT ALL. BUT FUNNY ENIUG THE HANDYMAN IS SUDDENLY THE NEW MANAGER... OMG THAT MAN CAN FOOL ANYONE.
Tsrt - 22-Nov-18 @ 11:12 PM
Ross Zimon from Thornton Heath. Contractor of Wren. Slow to give a quote. Will also not turn up when they make an appointment withy you. They will also overcharge but are very good at talking so it feels like they know what they're doing. The will start ok, but then turn up late, trash your home and leave it feeling like a building site after extending the job for double or triple the time originally quoted. The work, when you look more closely, is sloppy. We hired them for a Wren kitchen installation and found that they hadn't fitted the pipes properly, causing a leek down to the basement flat. Wrote to Wren to complain but they weren't interested. Before the leak, unfortunately, we had hired them to redo our bathroom. The finish was below standards and he kept coming to us for more money. He kept on opening up all of the boxes of tiles and we were left with loads of unused tiles that could have been returned. The last time we saw him, he turned up looking like some street scum, hoodie up over his head (his colleague had to drag him over to fix something he screwed up). There is more, but this is a warning to other not to employ ROSS ZIMON. He's not skilled, slow as hell and can talk for England.
FT - 16-Nov-18 @ 4:46 PM
After posting on facebook for reccomendations i employed a local chippy to put up 3 stud walls for me .his name is Charlie Griffiths trading undef the name of Truegreen Landscapes .After paying him And on closer inspectionI found the work go be really shoddy and so called him in to discuss .he refused to put his work right because when he did my job 2 months prior he allegedly left a £400 drill hidden under some rubbish bags to collect later and it was no longer there. He then proceeded to ask me for my insurance details
Jilly Phaedona - 9-Oct-18 @ 1:15 PM
Mark Mobsby Builders, Farnborough, Hampshire. I employed this builder to complete me a home extension.Areas of substandard workmanship became evident, such as his laminate flooring breaking apart after a week, caused by no sub floor preparation being carried out.As the Builder refused to accept any wrong doing, I obtained advice from CiPHE.A specialist forensic building surveyor attended my home and examined the builder's work.He completed a report that identified Building Regs that were breached, and concluded that areas of the builder's work were "below the standard expected of a competent tradesperson."The builder dismissed the report, so I was left with no choice but to go to Court. Earlier this year I was successful at Court in obtaining a CCJ against the Builder.I was awarded substantial compensation, being successful in nearly every area of my claim.I needed HCEO's to enforce the Judgment. I recently had someone knock on my door seeking a reference. The only advice I could give was do your homework, check references carefully, and check what happens if and when things go wrong. That is when you find out what a tradesmen is really all about ....
patch - 11-Sep-18 @ 8:08 AM
@Ant - try your area Facebook page. Or a private detective.....
BBKI - 3-Sep-18 @ 3:49 PM
Parkway Paving in Ashford did a sloppy job on our drive. They promised to correct anything that wasnt right and said it was guaranteed for seven years. Their addresses are false and they cannot be contacted by phone. Any ideas how to contact them?
Ant - 30-Aug-18 @ 9:58 PM
Vickypk - Your Question:
I paid a deposit of £7000 last October for a new kitchen to a company. They started work at the beginning of April 2018 and we are still without a kitchen with only a few floor bases installed. It's been a nightmare phoning and emailing this company every day to get a workman here. We are lucky if we get someone to do some work for 2 hours in 2 weeks. We have a solicitor but the builder is just saying to him that he wants to complete the kitchen but nothing has changed and no firm dates. Not sure what to do next as I can't carry on with daily emails from the builder with lies and excuses.
Our Response:
The CAB link here , should help answer your question.
TraderScams - 22-Jun-18 @ 2:34 PM
@fuzzy - it's a case of 'take me to court mate' and then you can get all the other people in your locality onside. I'm sure they will all have their own stories to tell.
JohnnieB - 22-Jun-18 @ 9:24 AM
I paid a deposit of £7000 last October for a new kitchen to a company. They started work at the beginning of April 2018 and we are still without a kitchen with only a few floor bases installed. It's been a nightmare phoning and emailing this company every day to get a workman here. We are lucky if we get someone to do some work for 2 hours in 2 weeks. We have a solicitor but the builder is just saying to him that he wants to complete the kitchen but nothing has changed and no firm dates. Not sure what to do next as I can't carry on with daily emails from the builder with lies and excuses.
Vickypk - 22-Jun-18 @ 9:17 AM
i employed a builder to do my extension as he was doing what i thought was a good job around the corner at another property. once the shell was up he started to disappear. I eventually found out he was on another job. After constantly calling to find out what was going on he played me about with I will pop in later this week. Day and then weeks went by with very little effort of doing any work. To add insult to injury he then around 3 months later started another job in my street and still failed to show up to finish jobs off. in the end he made up a list of extra prices which i disputed and I told him to bugger off i will get the jobs finiahed by other tradesman. Eight months on and i receive a call out of the blue asking for the money from the extra list.
fuzzy - 21-Jun-18 @ 9:13 AM
I employed adl 12 months ago to flag my front....after being asked after 3 months of back and to and no show was asked for a further 1000 pounds extra which was above the contracted and agreed price...i refused...the work still hasnt been completed to this very day and now some of the laid flags and block pave have cracked in 2...ive approached them by phone calls texts to no avail ....paid all but 170 pounds of the nearly 4000 job...
Mitzi - 20-Jun-18 @ 10:13 AM
JD decorating of Bournemouth,very poor sloppy workmanship, corners cut, paint spilt and a mess left at the end of the day. After researching owner is an ex con and drug dealer claims to be established 30 years but this is false. Owners son smelt of weed every day who was on the job, always late and very lazy.
Jimbo - 16-Jun-18 @ 7:05 PM
N/a - Your Question:
I would like to report a tradesman who is not registered as a trade at all. Who do I report it too
Our Response:
You can report a trader to Trading Standards if you think the person has broken the law or acted unfairly, please see link here .
TraderScams - 1-Jun-18 @ 3:30 PM
I would like to report a tradesman who is not registeredas a trade at all. Who do I report it too
N/a - 1-Jun-18 @ 9:42 AM
Courts are powerless to solve the problem,even if you get a judgement there is only ONE way to stop COWBOY BUILDERS.Report them to HMRC. After 6 years of trying to get the money owed to me through the courts,I reported the 'builder' for suspected tax evasion,he was fined £85,000. Ok I still haven't got my money, but I feel great!!!!. It is so easy to do, collate as much information as you can, then go online to HMRC and follow the links to tax evasion.They will acknowledge your Email but will not keep you updated. I found out because the 'builder' admitted it on one of our court dates. Cowboy builders know the courts are useless in making them pay. HMRC is the way to go
ptolemy - 27-May-18 @ 12:43 PM
Hooley Landscapes, Basingstoke.Poor job , cowboy youth workers who had cheek to ask my disabled gf for cups of tea on daily basis. They errected a shed and greenhouse and it's falling apart. They left the place a mess. Asked him to come back and he said he was too busy,can't commit to weekends and generally uninterested.
RJ - 28-Apr-18 @ 10:48 AM
Had builders in paid cash not seen for months promise after promise lie after lie south liverpool builders also now trading as mersey build on menlove avenue Liverpool little scumbag called tom Turpin avoid at all costs
Bad - 10-Mar-18 @ 9:12 PM
I was looking for a alarm system for my home and put my details on rated people. I was contacted by EMSS, east midlands security systems ltd. They could talk a great talk and arranged to have a full pet friendly alarm fitted. The fitting went well but within ten minutes of them leaving the alarm bleeped every time we moved in the hall. As this is the link from room to kitchen was no good at all so i started to ring them to come back. They did not answer nor did they respond to text messages or emails. My son checked the battery and removed that sensor from the system as clearly faulty and driving us mad. We put the alarm on to go to work and within 20 min the alarm went off and had to come home the system goes of for no reason every time we set it! The alarm was not flashing and ringing outside just down the phone and in the house. We got in touch with rated people who say nothing to do with them but they got us to fill in a complaints form and send all attempts to contact. As they had decided to suspend the membership until they contacted us. They rang and came two weeks later saying fault in kitchen all ok and only rang outside for the first few mins. Next day the alarm again called me home from work was not fixed so tried to contact them but ignoring my phone rang them from a friends, they arranged to come out four days later on the saturday morning and did not turn up! Text to threaten small claims pending but no response so £495 out of pocket. AVOID AVOID EMSS (East midlands security services ltd) AVOID AVOID
djg - 4-Feb-18 @ 1:51 PM
My mother age 84 save up for some kitchen cubboards, then had to save up to have them fitted. She rang a handy man and told him what she wanted. He came to fit them and did not fit them has she asked, he messed about with the electric sockets which there was no need to touch. He has left her with one door off, no handles were put on. And the plug on the extracter fan he put on has no back on it, he has taped it up with black tape.This man Steve Field of Grimsby is a rip off merchant.He will not resond to my phone calls, what an ass.
Lorra -REnde - 23-Nov-17 @ 1:40 PM
I have had a builder in to build a cupboard in my kitchen ... it has left dangerous and unfinished. Also he was meant to fix the back door now it will not even close properly I do not know what to do... i have health problems and my daughter is pregant
Catherine - 26-Oct-17 @ 6:24 PM
Would like people enlightened as I've had major problems with landscapers.When I say,landscapers I actually mean cowboys. Ones whosabotaged my garden & i refused payment.When I posted ones work on his fb page,he went berserk at me on the phone....Really nasty, which has left a very sour taste in my mouth. In fact I feel very violated. Anyone can profess to be a landscaper, but they are in fact just sharks looking for a quick buck. To my detriment,both financially & emotionally I have learnt this. Go for someone who is a registered company at company house...Go by real recomendations(not friends of the landscaper ),ask for referances,do not go with pics on just a website & phone. Do not hand any money upfront or for materials.Any reputable company wouldn't ask. Get a written & detailed contract before work commences. Dont be fooled into thinking it's a good deal pricewise...if it sounds too good to be true,it obviously is! I hope that this will help others out there.
Conan - 24-Oct-17 @ 7:50 PM
Would like people enlightened as I've had major problems with landscapers.When I say,landscapers I actually mean cowboys. Ones whosabotaged my garden & i refused payment.When I posted ones work on his fb page,he went berserk at me on the phone....Really nasty, which has left a very sour taste in my mouth. In fact I feel very violated. Anyone can profess to be a landscaper, but they are in fact just sharks looking for a quick buck. To my detriment,both financially & emotionally I have learnt this. Go for someone who is a registered company at company house...Go by real recomendations(not friends of the landscaper ),ask for referances,do not go with pics on just a website & phone. Do not hand any money upfront or for materials.Any reputable company wouldn't ask. Get a written & detailed contract before work commences. Dont be fooled into thinking it's a good deal pricewise...if it sounds too good to be true,it obviously is! I hope that this will help others out there.
Conan - 24-Oct-17 @ 7:48 PM
HEATING 4U LIMITED Company Number: SC344484 On 15 June 2017, a petition was presented to Kirkcaldy Sheriff Court by the Advocate General for Scotland for and on behalf of the Commissioners for Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs craving the Court inter alia to order that Heating 4U Limited, Dunollie, Windygates Road, Leven, Fife KY8 4DP (registered office) (company registration number SC344484) be wound up by the Court and to appoint a liquidator. HEATING 4U LIMITED is now trading as HEATING 4U Fife LIMITED but this may be investigated as it may not be in compliance of liquidations rules and regulations. Searched the gas safe register and this company did not seem to be registered! It does not surprise me as their standard of work left me with a flooded kitchen and although they did fix their faults I was left with a bill for thousands to fix the damage caused by the flooding. I found that they had sent a glazier to my house to repair a plumbing fault. What a ridiculous standard of commitment to high standards. They also fraudulently used the logos of several professional associations which are used to demonstrate competency even though they were not members. Searched the gas safe register and this company did not seem to be registered! All are verifiable facts and as such cannot be deemed offensive in any way but truth must be a warning. Be wary!
Flooded - 5-Oct-17 @ 3:22 PM
The fact is cowboy builders can set anything up on the Internet. No one verifies what they post on their website. On some 'reputable' sites a customer writes a bad review, the builder will challenge it and then the reviews stays under moderation for months. In the meantime the cowboy builder carries on ripping money off unsuspecting victims. I hope that the threats posted here are reported and investigated. And the real culprits tracked. I'm sure everyone who has reported a cowboy builder here would happily provide proof.
Mike - 21-Mar-17 @ 1:57 PM
we are keith and ashleyfeel free to contact...pathetic
split - 21-Mar-17 @ 8:14 AM
Split/putrid/wink - Sounds like you have been named and shamed on here and now making threats to the people who have posted about you?
Pm - 20-Mar-17 @ 11:28 PM
BANKSIDE-PAINT/BODYREPAIR-FALKIRK.Took my car here to have bodywork painted.On collection of the car at a QUICK glance didn't look like a professional Finish.Anyhow I paid him to avoid confrontation an the time he spent an materials.Anyhow next day inspected work CLOSELY.The finish was extremely bad it had not been sanded down right ,had a very dull Matt finish with orange peel effect.Had runs in .Just crap workmanship.Agreed to relacquer it again after recontacting but .Phoned again to arrange an ignores all calls.STAY CLEAR.He can't paint an is in wrong job.
Mikey - 13-Mar-17 @ 3:26 AM
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