Advice please - dodgy window company failed to complete work

[PurpleFlower1983]

Apologies, I am posting for traffic as I could do with some advice quite quickly. My parents have had some work done at their property, this came to £12000. Most of the work has been completed but for the final part of the job, the replacement of 12 conservatory windows, they have failed to show up on several occasions. The woman in the office gives assurances that they are coming but the outcome is always the same. My parents are quite trusting people and have already paid the balance, the woman they are dealing with comes across sympathetic to my mum but as I said, the outcome is the same. She has blocked my mum’s calls and they have had to phone on different numbers. Having become fed up of this last Thursday, I phoned them and told her that if this was not dealt with I was going through to the office to collect a refund for the works not completed. My mum is disabled and vulnerable and does not need the added stress. She said she did not accept ‘threats’ to which I replied it was not a threat, just a course of action. She assured me, with the confirmation of ‘head of operations’ that they would be here today at 2pm. At 2.30pm I called my dad to check if they had arrived, he said no but that they had had a phone call at 2pm from the woman saying please be assured they were on their way but rain had held up the previous job. This was somewhat plausible. By 4pm they had still not arrived so my dad called and again was assured they would arrive. Nothing, the of course the office is closed so I couldn’t go through.

My plan now is to go through after work tomorrow with my dad. Am I within my rights to ask for an itemised invoice and ask for a full refund of services not provided? I don’t think this will get me anywhere but I do not want these people to get away with it.

Having looks into the company their recent reviews are terrible and all say very similar things, someone said they managed to go through and get a refund.

My parents had used them in the past and had no issues and are not technically minded so didn’t see the reviews online.

They may not let you in during coronavirus if it’s a ring for entry set up.

Tell them you’re going to trading standards if this matter is not resolved to your satisfaction by x date and ask them what their plans are to resolve it.

Was any of it paid by credit card? You have some protection for goods in the event something goes wrong if you pay at least £100 on a credit card but I don’t know about services.

Do you have an invoice/receipt from them with their address on it as you will need this to sue them.

Good luck. I hate companies like theirs. Which will probably go bust deliberately to get out of paying refunds to unsatisfied customers and then reinvent themselves as another shit company with no debt.

If I were you I would get as much official advice as possible before you do anything, so you can say exactly what you want but with proper legal background and in the correct terminology - you're far less likely to be ignored.

(I did this when our hotel was closed the week before our holiday, I spoke to some legal services and people in that line of work and sent a letter - I had a full refund for the entire holiday within 4 days.)

Good luck.