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Original poster

Buyer ripped my new vinyl

39 replies

SecretNameforMN · 19/07/2025 20:02

For context, I am a single lady house owner, retired, so on a moderate income.

Just 8 weeks after I had new vinyl laid in my kitchen a local man came to my house to collect something I sold him on eBay for £50. There was a piece of furniture in the way of him carrying the purchased item out of the house, and without asking me or waiting for me to help lift it and move it, he took it upon himself to drag the piece across the vinyl, stretching it and tearing a jagged hole 40cm long and 20cm wide. He was suitably apologetic and said to let him know how much the repair cost, and left.

Flooring man came back and tried his level best to make an invisible mend but because the vinyl had been rucked up and stretched as well as ripped, it was impossible. He glued it down so it wasn't a trip hazard but it looked horrible. He did not charge me.

I tried to live with it for a couple of weeks but it's in a most prominent and brightly-lit spot in the middle of the room. The only solution was to re-buy the whole sheet and pay the fitter again. It cost £350. I messaged the man who did it and he flatly refuses to reimburse me, saying that is a ridiculous amount to pay for his innocent mistake.

And so I am £350 out of pocket, entirely because of him!

AIBU to think that he should reimburse me?

OP posts:
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SuburbanSprawl · 20/07/2025 10:53

Yolo12345 · 20/07/2025 00:28

Completely get your frustration. I would however declutter my home and try to sell things on eBay/vinted/car boot sales to raise the money…

.....that's a help. Are you a professional pointmisser?

Cadenza12 · 20/07/2025 10:31

It was an accident. I really think that you are going to have to chalk it up to experience.

Assssofspades · 20/07/2025 10:30

MandyMotherOfBrian · 20/07/2025 10:27

Doesn’t sound like it is ‘likely’ at all. You need a lot of evidence to win a case in the smalls claims court. And even if she did win, it is entirely possible that the judgement would be it is unreasonable to expect him to pay for the whole room to be redone, covering the cost of a repair would be more likely, or maybe a contribution.
Have you asked for a contribution OP, instead of the whole amount?

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You must have had very different experiences to me.

MandyMotherOfBrian · 20/07/2025 10:27

Assssofspades · 20/07/2025 01:29

The cost part is untrue, it's not much to put through small claims at that amount (nor stressful) In the likely event she is successful it would be paid for by him.

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Doesn’t sound like it is ‘likely’ at all. You need a lot of evidence to win a case in the smalls claims court. And even if she did win, it is entirely possible that the judgement would be it is unreasonable to expect him to pay for the whole room to be redone, covering the cost of a repair would be more likely, or maybe a contribution.
Have you asked for a contribution OP, instead of the whole amount?

SleepingisanArt · 20/07/2025 10:20

@Cosyblankets we have quite a high excess on our buildings insurance as we are much less likely to claim on it (unless it's HUGE) and it brings the premiums down quite significantly. Our contents excess is lower (but we'd probably only use it for something significant) and the premiums don't vary much if your excess is £100 or £1000 so we've gone with what we feel we need in our circumstances.

rwalker · 20/07/2025 10:19

Cosyblankets · 19/07/2025 20:38

300 is a lot for an excess.

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Cheaper policies
have higher excess so less risk of them being claimed on

Venalopolos · 20/07/2025 10:13

Cosyblankets · 19/07/2025 20:38

300 is a lot for an excess.

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Is it? Mine’s £500. I pick quite a high excess on most insurance policies on the basis it’s rare that I make a claim, and can easily save the excess amount with a few years of cheaper policies. And I’d be unlikely to go through the hassle of a claim for something that low value.

Surely whether an excess is high or low depends on your personal appetite to risk and financial position.

Assssofspades · 20/07/2025 10:09

Velmy · 20/07/2025 02:05

The legal advice/fees are where the costs come in. Time off work etc.

Unless OP represents herself, which is often unwise and always a massive time sink.

I also wouldn't assume that it is likely OP would win. She'd have to prove negligence of some sort probably, a court might take the view that this is what insurance is for etc.

Then you run the risk that the guy 'loses' his job at the family business and has no means to pay even if he is found liable.

Unless OP is absolutely adamant about righting a perceived wrong, for £350 I'd be writing it off as a lesson learned.

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You do not need legal representation or advice for the small claims court, I've managed it myself three times successfully.

Velmy · 20/07/2025 02:05

Assssofspades · 20/07/2025 01:29

The cost part is untrue, it's not much to put through small claims at that amount (nor stressful) In the likely event she is successful it would be paid for by him.

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The legal advice/fees are where the costs come in. Time off work etc.

Unless OP represents herself, which is often unwise and always a massive time sink.

I also wouldn't assume that it is likely OP would win. She'd have to prove negligence of some sort probably, a court might take the view that this is what insurance is for etc.

Then you run the risk that the guy 'loses' his job at the family business and has no means to pay even if he is found liable.

Unless OP is absolutely adamant about righting a perceived wrong, for £350 I'd be writing it off as a lesson learned.

PatchenPoetess · 20/07/2025 01:31

TravelAdviceNeeded · 19/07/2025 20:45

This.

Give him one last chance with a final message:

E.g., Just following up regarding the damage to my vinyl flooring caused when you collected the furniture. You saw the extent of the damage at the time and assured me you would cover the repair cost. However, I was surprised when I contacted you on xx-date and you responded that you wouldn't be paying although you did acknowledge on this message that it was your mistake. I want to give you one final opportunity to resolve this fairly before I consider pursuing the matter through legal channels. Please let me know how you wish to proceed.

If he still refuses to reach an agreement then proceed straight to small claims.

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I agree.

Assssofspades · 20/07/2025 01:29

Velmy · 20/07/2025 01:03

Morally, yes, he should pay.

As for small claims, you're going to be spending more money than it would cost you to simply replace the floor. Not to mention the time and stress.

You're not guaranteed to win, which will leave you empty handed and with a legal bill if you don't. Even if you do win, you might not see the money for a long time, if at all.

Let it go.

The cost part is untrue, it's not much to put through small claims at that amount (nor stressful) In the likely event she is successful it would be paid for by him.

Belshels · 20/07/2025 01:14

I don't see the point in insurance really if you feel you can never claim? I do think he should be paying the excess though.

Velmy · 20/07/2025 01:03

Morally, yes, he should pay.

As for small claims, you're going to be spending more money than it would cost you to simply replace the floor. Not to mention the time and stress.

You're not guaranteed to win, which will leave you empty handed and with a legal bill if you don't. Even if you do win, you might not see the money for a long time, if at all.

Let it go.

Makingpeace · 20/07/2025 00:42

Yolo12345 · 20/07/2025 00:28

Completely get your frustration. I would however declutter my home and try to sell things on eBay/vinted/car boot sales to raise the money…

Just not the furniture perhaps....

Ponderingwindow · 20/07/2025 00:36

If you try to get him to pay, he may just counter that your floor was excessively fragile.

Honestly, this is why I only sell things after moving them outside or at least to my garage. Then I do not help them load their vehicle as painfully rude as that can feel.

Yolo12345 · 20/07/2025 00:28

Completely get your frustration. I would however declutter my home and try to sell things on eBay/vinted/car boot sales to raise the money…

Original poster
SecretNameforMN · 20/07/2025 00:16

esperanzaa · 19/07/2025 21:58

This is your buildings insurance, not your contents.

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Sorry. you are right; however, the contents is also £350.. here it is attached

Buyer ripped my new vinyl
OP posts:
Endofyear · 19/07/2025 22:57

I would pursue it through small claims court. Once you serve the papers, he might well cough up!

esperanzaa · 19/07/2025 21:58

SecretNameforMN · 19/07/2025 21:02

I misremembered. I just got out the policy and it's actually £350. See image.

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This is your buildings insurance, not your contents.

Faceonthewrongfoot · 19/07/2025 21:49

SecretNameforMN · 19/07/2025 21:02

I misremembered. I just got out the policy and it's actually £350. See image.

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I might be wrong, but I would have assumed that this would be claimed on your contents insurance, not the buildings.

DonnaBanana · 19/07/2025 21:47

Unless you have the time and the tenacity and strong mindedness to stay on top of it, I think the stress of chasing it up would be higher than the cost of chalking it up to experience. At least it would be for me but I’d be paranoid he might be a nutter or something.

Original poster
SecretNameforMN · 19/07/2025 21:39

londongirl12 · 19/07/2025 21:05

Surely you don’t know where he lives though. All you have is his number, possibly name? Not sure how it works with small claims court but assume you’d need his address?

I don't actually know his name but he works in a nearby shop owned by his father so there must be a way of getting his name and I can use the shop for correspondence.

OP posts:
londongirl12 · 19/07/2025 21:05

Surely you don’t know where he lives though. All you have is his number, possibly name? Not sure how it works with small claims court but assume you’d need his address?

aWeeCornishPastie · 19/07/2025 21:05

TravelAdviceNeeded · 19/07/2025 20:45

This.

Give him one last chance with a final message:

E.g., Just following up regarding the damage to my vinyl flooring caused when you collected the furniture. You saw the extent of the damage at the time and assured me you would cover the repair cost. However, I was surprised when I contacted you on xx-date and you responded that you wouldn't be paying although you did acknowledge on this message that it was your mistake. I want to give you one final opportunity to resolve this fairly before I consider pursuing the matter through legal channels. Please let me know how you wish to proceed.

If he still refuses to reach an agreement then proceed straight to small claims.

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I think if the OP does this the man will figure out what she’s up to and not reply…but it’s worth a shot I suppose

Buzyizzy217 · 19/07/2025 21:03

Could it be obvious what he was messaging about tho? I’d seriously speak to your legal team at your insurance. I think it comes down to the law of probability. That’s a lot of money to find, I’d be livid.

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