AIBU to expect £750 compensation

[Ellie1995]

A joiner came today to hang 5 internal doors. We supplied the doors at a cost of £430 and paid the joiner £320 for his work.

The joiner was a young lad who seemed hardworking, friendly etc - not a cowboy by any means. He worked hard all day to hang the doors and I paid him in full before he left.

When my husband later looked at the doors he discovered that the work was extremely shoddy (I didn’t know what I was looking at when I inspected it earlier). The doors have been unevenly planed, leaving large gaps in places, and some of the hinges haven’t been recessed etc. Unfortunately this means that the job is beyond fixing - the doors have been ruined and we will need to buy new and start again.

I rung the joiner and explained we were unhappy with the work and he is coming to discuss tomorrow. AIBU to request that he refund us £750 to cover his work and the doors?

Do you have pictures of the doors? Like others I honestly cannot see how they are apparently so poorly hung but you said they were fine and paid him. Is it possible that it's just a case of your DH having different expectations to you?

I agree with this. I'm not sure how you would miss large gaps and the other issues. Even if you only had a quick check these problems would have been obvious. I don't think expecting a full refund is reasonable given you had the chance to inspect prior to payment. I also think the poster who said he's unlikely to return is spot on.

@Plumedenom

I'd expect money back and I'd be requesting the whole lot. Tell him he can keep the old ones for his next job if he thinks they are recoverable! Those saying she should have noticed, she's not an expert. She didn't "sign off on the work", she paid. What if it fell of its hinges next week or got stuck? What if you took your car to the garage and then you later got it home to be told by someone who knew cars that it'd was a bodge job? Would you not go back?!

Well I don’t know how a car engine works, but surely we all know how a door works. You hardly need to have door expertise. I think the DH is trying it on.

So has he been back?

@Ellie1995

In response to the people stating I should have noticed, I looked briefly and am now kicking myself for not looking more closely. With the COVID situation and being 25 weeks pregnant, I felt under pressure to limit the length of any contact

Covid is an excuse for everything nowadays 😇