To be furious with handyman?

[Rainallnight]

Got a handyman recommendation from a local parents’ Facebook group.

He came round for a chat and seemed very professional, all good.

He showed up an hour late to do the work yesterday, and said he’d overslept.

He has ruined DD’s new bed (flat pack) by breaking it in three places. It still works, but there are three patches of exposed chipboard, two about the size of 50p pieces and one about the size of a small hand.

The bed was £350.

He also put one shelf of the book case he was assembling the wrong way round so you can see the exposed chipboard there.

I noticed yesterday mid way through that he stank of old booze so I suspect he had a bad hangover.

DP is quite relaxed about it but I am absolutely furious. AIBU?

And what should I do?

Have you paid him in full? I'd get him to rectify the works and make a deduction from the final payment.

Here's some citizens advice:

www.citizensadvice.org.uk/consumer/somethings-gone-wrong-with-a-purchase/complain-about-a-service/

Oh dear not good.

Get him back out and fix it. If the bed is broken he'll have to claim on his insurance.

Next time you book a handyman find one on eg bark site so you can leave a review.

Have you paid? If yes, then you’ll probably have to let it go, as chasing after the money will only make you more furious. If no, then say no pay unless you make good. Or just don’t pay, he doesn’t sound very competent/professional from your description Tbh I can’t see him doing a good job even if you get him back. You can get wood filler to repair the damage to the bed.

I would get him back to sort the bookcase.
I don't know that there's much that can be done about the bed. You'll have to claim on your insurance as I doubt he'll have any. I would treat the bed as if I had put it together, i.e would I leave it as is and expect it not to last as long as it should or replace it.

Any breakages should be claimed for but if he's so unprofessional as to turn up for work stinking of booze, I suspect he doesn't have any insurance to start it.

That is dreadful. He should replace the bed for a start!

Tell him to fix it

@RoastPotatoQueen

Get him back out and fix it. If the bed is broken he'll have to claim on his insurance.

Guaranteed he won't have insurance

He needs to replace the bed

He's not going to replace the bed if he is just some randomer off facebook, I got someone off facebook to build my daughters trampoline an d he put one of the legs on the wrong way round 🤦no way to fix it without taking the whole thing apart never again

If you've paid him you'll never hear from him again.

@SequinnedShawl

If you've paid him you'll never hear from him again.

Yeah, unfortunately I suspect this is true.

He won't care if you put a negative review on social media, honestly.

@SequinnedShawl

If you've paid him you'll never hear from him again.

Agreed, and he is unlikely to have insurance if it's a random handyman you contacted through Facebook. This is why I don't tend to use unskilled tradesmen.

The time spent finding this guy, waiting in for him to arrive, organising payment etc is probably not much less than you'd have spent just building the bed yourself tbh.

Bark com is your best bet in future.

He's not called Andy by any chance is he? We have a 'handyman' round our area who's gaining quite a reputation....and not for good reasons

Need photos op

That’s very annoying. I wouldn’t pay him at all and I wouldn’t invite him back to rectify anything because he’s unlikely to be capable the second time around. I’d probably spend that money on getting some other person to rectify or repair what they can.

The trouble with Facebook recommendations, I’ve found, is that so often people are just recommending their mates/husbands/
wives/drinking buddy/favourite neighbour and that’s where their loyalty is. They are unlikely to have experienced being a customer of their friend/partner. I’ve found better recommendations by asking friends/neighbours directly who I know or within WhatsApp groups who I’ve got an association with. They’re more likely to recommend on the basis of having been a customer.

I'd be very unhappy if someone charged me for such a poor job.

The point of flat pack is that anyone with a screwdriver or an Allen key can put it together if they read the instructions. I imagine most of us have put a shelf in the wrong way round at some point and had to dismantle the item to put it back together properly but we don't make the same mistake twice so it's pretty shocking that a handy man would not only make that mistake but also wouldn't correct it. He really doesn't sound very competent.

If you haven't paid already then I wouldn't give him any money but I think it's unlikely you will be compensated for the damage.