already very disappointed with tradesman, one day in to an 8 or 9 day job.

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We have employed a painter and decorator to decorate a room in our house.

He was strongly recommended by a number of posters on a local "recommend good tradespeople" type of site.

He was due to start today 8.30am, so we all got up earlier than usual to accomodate this.

Then dh got a text at 7.20am saying "actually, can we make it 9.30 today?"

So dh replied fine.

Well, he didn't turn up until 10.00am. Not in the least bit apologetic, just looking a bit stressed and saying he'd had a frantic weekend. Then immediately went out for 20 minutes to buy supplies - bin bags, wall paper scraper, etc.

Then started work on stripping wallpaper.

I went out at about 11.30 and when I got back at 2pm he had gone. So he's done absolute maximum 4 hours work here today and stripped the paper off one wall.

He has taken £225 cash off us as a deposit, and has asked for cash for entire job (which is going to be £1000 +).

I am totally unimpressed so far but as he has had £225 from us, what would you advise I do?

We have a deadline for getting the job done (decorating one very large room) of 1st May, so it really pisses me off that he's only spent 4 hours here today.

Thanks for any thoughts ...

I wouldn't pay any more. He can have no obviously logical reason for needing the full amount upfront. The £225 should cover materials unless theres anything very unusual and I'd have thought most tradespeople to be paying on 30 day account so not upfront.

Today could have been a bad hangover day after a stag weekend or similar.

The late start, at least he was courteous enough to let you know he'd be late. Could your response have been interpreted as 'just turn up whenever'?

Do you have an agreement that work will be completed by 1st May in writing?

Yes, I very much suspect that today was a bad hangover day, or a day when he had problems with his girlfriend judging by the long and loud phone conversations he was having.

Still not impressed.

Turning up 1 and a half hours late on the first day of the job without the proper equipment and disappearing after a few hours? All with no apology or explanation?

I certainly won't be recommending him on, no matter what sort of job he does for us.

This is par for the course with tradespeople I'm afraid. As long as the job gets done then I don't think you can complain really. He is self employed so can choose his own hours.

He is self employed. You don't get to decide his hours, he does! That is the first thing you learn when dealing with tradespeople.

He may well do double the amount of work tomorrow. Your only concern should be if the job is finished by the deadline you have agreed or in the time he has charged you for.

Thanks for replies.

Dh and I are both self employed and when we accept a job we accept the hours that the people employing us request, within reason.

My dissatisfaction comes from the fact that he told us he wanted to start at 8.30 but then didn't turn up until 10.00, with no apology, and then left at 2pm!

We also have a tight deadline for the job which he has already pushed back by only working half a day today.

I am thinking of finding someone else once he has earned out the £225 advance we have given him.

But thanks for your thoughts.

Had something similar but alot more money down the drain! we was paying nearlly £1600 for my bedroom to be done (not huge room), this was old units to be stripped out, walls striped and lined (didnt need platering so was lined instead and ceiling was paid for seperately as someone else did it) and walls painted, wooden floor laid and we had ordered bespoke made to measure units ( they was £1700 extra)

he would come at 8 but by the time i got back from school run at 3.30 he would be gone, then kept not turning up and we had deadline as i was going oz for a month.

Basically untis were delivered and they was monsterous and no way was they going to fit in my room.
In the end my dad called him from dubai (i live in parents house as they live abroad and they was paying for it and they know him as he did previous work for us)

i think he knew he fucked up with the measurements and after my dad called him, he text me to say he wasnt coming back and never heard antother word.

i had given him £150 for a skip for the untis ripped out even though it all fit in the back of his van! so doubt he got one!!
And had given him £700 and for that he ripped out units, painted walls and laid the wooden floor! He was due another £800!!!

I doubt you will get the money back you have already paid, but i would let him cary on for now and not pay anymore until the work is complete.

good luck