Small claim but don't have persons address

[Paranoid17]

Hi help needed please.
I need to file a small money claim against a tradesman but I cannot find his address anywhere, I can't find his registered business information anywhere online, I only have his phone number and email address.
I've tried starting the money claim online tonight but won't let me proceed unless I put his address in, I will obviously call the helpline tomorrow but in the meantime does anyone know if I can file a claim against him if I don't have an address? any ideas how to find his address? Thanks

[Elementalillusions]

You can’t file a claim against him without an address, it’s not possible as they need to be able to physically serve him with the documents.

Have you checked companies house?

[AnchorDownDeepBreath]

Yeah, you can't file without an address. The legal process needs one to be able to physically serve papers. It's a no go if you have no way to find his address... does companies house have any info?

[AnchorDownDeepBreath]

Oh dammit sorry Elemental* totally forgot you'd suggested that!

[Paranoid17]

Thanks for the replies! Looked at companies house, nothing registered for either of his two businesses he has.

[Collaborate]

Use a tracing agent to track him down. They charge around £50.

[ProfessorSlocombe]

Use a tracing agent to track him down. They charge around £50.

Depending on the amount, the OP might be better advised to forget it. Especially if the person has set out in advance to be a fraudster and has buried their tracks. Because I can personally guarantee that no tracing agent will refund their fee if it turns out the person located still can't be served.

[ThePittts]

Long shot, but old fashioned phone book look up, or 192.com depending on whether they have ticked the box to hide address

[MarieG10]

What's the value of the claim and what's it for?

[JuniperBeer]

What’s the address on the invoices?

[dontdoxmeeither]

Can it be served at a place of work? Anyone?

I'm in a similar position, no residential address.

Good luck, so stressful!

[JohnCRaven]

I had this with faulty goods. Wasn't worth the cost of tracking down her address but if it was £1000+ I would.

[LIZS]

Electoral roll?

[AlwaysCheddar]

Follow his van?

[Paranoid17]

Tried 192.com he doesn't seem to be on there.
He didn't give me an invoice, he was recommended on Facebook, he sent me through photos of his previous work and recommended which I know believe to be fake, I paid him cash before he finished the job, massive mistake I know but he asked for it and I felt put on the spot and stupidly paid him.
Can't find him on the electrol roll either.
The job was £300
Follow his van from where? I don't know where he lives or his whereabouts on a daily basis.

[BritInUS1]

There is nothing you can really do without an address. It's not worth paying a tracking company for £300

[LIZS]

Have you tried Trading Standards, they may have had similar complaints.

[MarieG10]

£300....annoying but chalk it up to experience. But try and warn others on social media if you can

[Collaborate]

"It's not worth paying a tracking company for £300"

Many offer a no-trace no-fee service.

[ProfessorSlocombe]

Many offer a no-trace no-fee service.

When you buy a book of 10 vouchers upfront. You then use a voucher to claim a trace - if it fails you get the voucher back. Certainly that's how it used to be. With each voucher being £25. Do the math.

I'll be brutally honest OP, for £300 I would really consider writing it off to experience. You could lodge a claim and get judgement (so spend more money) and then try and send bailiffs in at whatever it is these days and have them come back saying "sorry, no go.". Once, twice, three times ....

I've often felt that the UK is too lax with criminal fraudsters ... it's clear this character has set out from day one to rip their victims off. There really is no innocent interpretation of their actions. If there's no will for a root'n'branch shake up of the law surrounding such behaviour, then maybe caveat emptor should be part of the school syllabus ahead of "what pronoun should I use for a lettuce ?", and "Do goldfish identify as jewellery ?".

[Arian1]

I bought a washing machine from a trader called shopforbargins .club in Manchester

I contacted him first off ebay amd he directed me to his own website to py for a machine. Hes called trevor

I asked for a 8kg machine as i have lots of children but he kept changing the manufacturer.
The machine arrived and didnt work..first problem. They took the machine back and delivered another machine with a smaller drum size. By now i felt the owner was dishonest and i wanted nothing more to do with him so i accepted the machine so i didnt have to talk to them again. He said the machine had one years warranty, parts and labour ( which is why i bought it in the first place) on it and his website said the machines are under warranty for two years. This was not on the receipt though
Second problem.
7 months later machine breaks and i ring him.trevor says there a charge for coming to pick up the machine. And now denies it has a warranty for parts and labour.
Third problem.
By now i know this guy is a liar.
He says i have to pay £40 for the repair on the premises or they will take it away to be fixed and return it.
Guy comes and takes it away saying phone in afew days .
After loads of phone calls where the reply is always the same " machine is in work shop" trevor finally says they are waiting for a broken machine to come in where they will put the parts into my machine
If i want it today i have to pay another £150 for repair. At this point they have had the machine two weeks: problem three.
Finally he says that there was something stuck in the drum and that they will replace the machine. I ask when one will be delivered?
Now the really mental conversations begin.
He says his moms coming out of hospital and he has to look after her.
Problem four
Ok know i know im not getting this machine back.
There no way i believe this man has put his business that runs 6 days a week is on hold for his mum as they have loads of staff. But when i speak to him ...Apparently it is.
Come monday and he says he will deliver a machine. I ask him for drum size.
He says 6kg . I said i paid for an 8kg machine amd want an 8kg machine back.
Problem five.
He says definately ill get one this week.
I tell him i have 5 children who have no clothes and i need a machine this week.
He says no problem.
Come Wednesday i ring again.
This time his staff say the lorry has broken down and green flag has been called.
Problem six.
I ring back again and the trevor says hes waiting for the delivery to come in of new machines.
Come friday he says his friend is in hospital and he knows theres a delivery with my name on it
I ask him to give me a time so that i can stay in.
Problem seven
No he cant give a time because hes eating his lunch.
I ask him to look at the paperwork and he says Saturday.
Again i ask him for a time and he puts the phone phone on me.
Problem eight.
Come monday...after no delivery, i ring and ask what happened to my delivery.
He then says hes told me something really personal about his friend trying to commit suicide and i have no empathy brcause i keep asking for my machine back.
Problem eight

I told him he didnt tell me about his friend trying to commit suicide and i want my machine.
He then says hes waiting for a delivery.

So i ask him " when i rang on friday you didnt have the machine then either did you?and said that you had me down for a delivery"

He then says hes getting the delivery tomorrow..
No delivery time.
I said im phoning trading standards if i dont get my machine today or tomorrow.
I said i wanted my money back and then the already outrageous lies become reach a new level.
He goes i destroyed the machine i was "given"
I wasnt given anything i paid for a machine.
He then sys he offered me a replacement machine while mine was being fixed.
Which i point out was a blatent lie as he new once offered me a machine .to "turn down"

I put the phone down.
Problem nine.
I know by now im not getting this machine back.
He rings back saying there is a deliver coming to his store tomorrow. But again....At this point again no delivery time to my address. Ive said i had enough and that I dont believe him and he can deal with trading standards.
He said thats fine he will.

One week one and no machine.

Hes clearly trying to wear me down so i stop asking for my machine back.

I typed a letter out to give him another seven days and them im off to the courts .
I know ill have to pay more money to py court fee and probably still wont get my money back.
I have 5 childten..just startng up my own business so absolutely no money spare for another machine.

Any advice?

[JuniperBeer]

@arian1 why did you go via his website?
Alarm bells! You can get loads of bargain washing machines on ao.com or any of the other retailers at the moment.
I’m not sure trading standards will help? Have you contacted them as threatened?

If you paid by card on his website, contact your bank of the card you paid with. They might be able to process a charge back.