Builder asking for payment after cash paid and VAT quote concerns

[AmIbeingscammed]

I had a quote for landscaping that said including vat. Work has been done and I paid £1000 by bank transfer for some materials prior to completion. The chap then called round and asked for £1000 in cash to pay his workers ( I was waiting for an ambulance to come as was extremely unwell with a raging infection) I paid the £1000 cash.
He has now messaged me asking if he can come round for payment, I said to send me an invoice including the vat breakdown and I will pay. I don't think he is vat registered but does seem to be a registered Ltd company.
I just have a bad feeling, I'm still not well and he told me whilst the work was in progress that one of the workers was due in court for putting his fist through someone's window. I would never have agreed to employing his services if I had known this.
I'm cross with myself for paying the cash , I'm worried he'll come round and mess up the work that's been done.
He finished the job 3 days ago.

Eh? You clearly said it's a cashless society and I asked if you were being serious

Were you being serious?

Sorry, I've mixed you up with the other poster who doesn't think anyone has cash, my mistake

This is bringing back memories - building work for DM flat and the manager kept asking her for money to pay the workers and pay for materials. I know we ended up overpaying because he was targeting a vulnerable lady who could not tell me how much she had given him and he kept ringing her and coming round with sob stories about being ill and needing the money.

Why do people contact for services without written quote, payment schedule and invoices?
Just avoid cash.
Insist on bank transfer.
If you try to get away with cheaper for cash then only yourself to blame.

its all paid now, apart from him now asking me to call him, for what, I don't know, I hope the matter is finished. It's just put me off having any work done. Nothing dreadful has actually happened but it just made me feel uneasy.

I didn't ask to pay cash, I didn't want it done 'on the cheap' and I did get a written quote.

Were both invoices with payment details emailed to you? There is a scam called a man in the middle attack where electronic invoices are intercepted & the payment details are changed. Quite often solicitors, construction companies and car dealerships are cloned.

If he says that he hasn't received the BACS payment, go straight to your bank & they can sort it out. You don't sound daft enough to send him a second payment, thank goodness.

I didn’t say they’d be asking anyone if they have cash in the house. They said they don’t know anyone who keeps that sort of cash in the house my point was how would they know because it’s not like the home owners are going to disclose the fact they have cash hidden once you enter their home

And? I have family and friends and haven’t told any of them what I have on my home money wise, I certainly don’t think they’d rob me either! It’s not something you need to tell anyone

There should be a VAT number on the invoice he gives you.

Yes , I was with him when he sent the first one and he told me to pay to his personal account.

A different account to what was on the invoice ?

obv you have paid now but I would have asked for a new invoice with the new bank details on it

Yes , he wanted it paid to his personal account and not the business one .

Sounds dodgy

He's probably struggling financially and may not even earn the ceiling amount before VAT is paid. I think that's going up soon. It does make you lose confidence though and think there is something dodgy going on.

Incidentally would anyone happen to know at what point a path is tiled when landscaping. Think it might be the last job.