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Mum scammed - guttering/roofing job

5 replies

ThisOldSaddo · 15/09/2021 21:17

Mum, in her late 70's lives alone about 250 miles from me, but still drives and is very independent.

She mentioned needing work done on her outhouses, so I said I'd be there when she was getting quotes. She wouldn't hear of it, so cracked on.

Today she arranged three quotes from roofing companies in the local paper.

A. £850 for guttering and £1150 for repointing the wall (wall is 8m2, you're looking at no more than £400 really, even nowadays!).

B. Fella said £850 for guttering too and wouldn't quote on repointing until it had dried out...

C. Due tomorrow morning.

Mum tells the other two at the end of their meeting that she has to get a couple of quotes, and she'll be in touch.

She goes out for a few hours, comes home and the lads from the first company (A) are on her outhouse roof doing the work!!

She rings me, tells me. I know what's happened and tell her to tell them to stop, leave and call the police whilst she's doing so.

She doesn't really want to do that. She lives alone, they know where, we both know what kind of outfit they are now, clearly...so she rings off.

Next time we chat she's been to the bank and paid them £850 for the guttering, because that's what she thinks it's worth and the have finished it.

Oddly enough when they go to leave, they get into some sort of accident with a motorbike and the police are called. They then have their van seized because it's not road-worthy and full of weed. Don't think the lads are taken, but not sure. Apparently they were "being dealt with" - that's what one of the bizzies said.

I have been doing my research and have the telephone number and name of the year who strong-armed
Mum into having them do the half-job.

I am incandescent with rage and want to avenge her.

How?

OP posts:
ThisOldSaddo · 15/09/2021 21:18

Ps she now feels silly, and sad that she's now a little old lady that this happens to. I could cry. She's a lioness, this woman. Way ahead of her time, a grafter, super organised, always knew where everything was. Never missed anything.

OP posts:
Mookie81 · 15/09/2021 21:31

Why didn't you call the police when she wouldn't?

CorpusCallosum · 15/09/2021 21:45

You/she can report the company to trading standards. They will also probably have a list of trades who they screen so a better place for her to look for workmen than the local paper.

They might also have advice on how to protect against scams in the future - you could try and sell this as taking action to empower herself after this knock to her self esteem 💪

FWIW I wouldn't dream of calling the police when she said she didn't want that, her reasons not to are valid and it was her decision to make.

Hullbilly · 15/09/2021 21:51

Report to trading standards. They sometimes need a few complaints to be able to take it further. This is what they're there for. If you'd rung while they were on her roof, they might've sent someone out there and then. But sometimes they can prosecute and get the money back through POCA.

mineofuselessinformation · 15/09/2021 22:06

Not only report it, put it on her local Facebook page (take care with your wording).

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