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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To worry that the gardener is going to do a runner with our money?

111 replies

RicktheBrick · 13/04/2023 09:43

So we moved to a new house earlier this year and the garden is not safe for our 3 kids. We got some quotes and found a guy via Facebook, proper company, lovely pictures of his work. He was a really nice guy too and is able to give us what we want within our budget. It's a massive project, and we are also getting the driveway widened. We booked in for Easter holidays and paid half deposit upfront, said it would take 2 weeks, great we thought. Now I'm really starting to worry that it's either not going to get done at all or it's just going to just drag on and on and take months.

Day 1 - they turned up at half 9 with a mini digger and cracked on and ripped up all the slabs on the patio. But left before 3.

Day 2 - turned up before 9, and again cracked on, dug up the rest of the patio, and leveled it out ready for slabs. Left at about half 4.

Day 3 - simply did not turn up. No text to say they were not coming, and it was only when DH text him, he said he was sorry and his child had ended up in hospital (doubt that this is true now) and that they would be here the next day.

Day 4 - 1 lad turned up at half 8 (in the bosses car), did about 2 hours work cutting back some hedges and then left for the day. Whilst he was here he said the boss would be coming too but obviously he didn't turn up.

Then it was the long bank holiday weekend so they were off from Fri-Mon.

DH text on Monday night confirming they would be here all week, he said yes they would be on the job until complete now.

Day 5 - again, no show. At about half 11 DH text asking where they were. He said they were loading up the slabs and would be bringing them after. But, you guessed it, they didn't turn up.

Day 6 - turned up at about half 9, one of the lads started digging out part of a wall and he was grafting tbf, but the boss and other lad left for about 3 hours, and came back with 2 packs of slabs. They then bought 2 trailers of sand, dumped it on the driveway and clocked off at half 2 because of the rain. Said they would be here at half 8 today and would get cracking with laying the slabs.

Today - 4 of them turned up before half 8, so I had high hopes. BUT they all left again about 5 minutes later and have been gone over an hour now.

This isn't good is it? Sad What do we do? DH has already had several conversations with him about communication and just letting us know what is going on, but they just turn up and leave when they please without a word, they don't even knock on first thing they just come straight round to the garden.

I'm worried that we've paid over £7k to this guy and that hes just not going to complete the job. The money we have remaining is all we have and won't be anywhere near enough to pay someone else to finish it. How on earth do people run businesses like this?

OP posts:
Anewuser · 13/04/2023 09:48

Easy to say now, but your mistake was paying anything upfront. If they’re a reputable company they should have the cash flow available.

Sorry you’re going through this. I think you may have a long road ahead.

WakeMeUpInspring · 13/04/2023 09:50

Did you check references and previous work?

Original poster
RicktheBrick · 13/04/2023 09:54

Anewuser · 13/04/2023 09:48

Easy to say now, but your mistake was paying anything upfront. If they’re a reputable company they should have the cash flow available.

Sorry you’re going through this. I think you may have a long road ahead.

I always see this spouted on here but I've never heard of NOT paying a deposit, especially for a large costly project like this! If they ask you for a deposit and you say no, then they just won't do the job, surely?

OP posts:
Original poster
RicktheBrick · 13/04/2023 09:56

WakeMeUpInspring · 13/04/2023 09:50

Did you check references and previous work?

Yes I did. His company was a contractor for a large new build company doing their gardens for a good few years so his recent portfolio is small as they're just getting back into doing individual projects, but the reviews he does have are good and genuine.

OP posts:
Eggseggseverywhere · 13/04/2023 10:02

7k was just the deposit? <SWOONS AND FAINTS >

ChardonnaysBeastlyCat · 13/04/2023 10:05

They are probably finishing a big job somewhere else. If the are contractors then they would have been given something by their usual more regular sources.

MeMyBooksAndMyCats · 13/04/2023 10:05

7k was a deposit?! How big is your garden acres?

You've been ripped off.

SunshineGeorgie · 13/04/2023 10:14

'Spouted on here'....how rude!

whiteonesugar · 13/04/2023 10:16

This happened to us when we had our garden done too. No shows, no communication etc. They came and dug it all up after I got annoyed but then left it for 2 weeks as it was. The team did do it eventually, and what they did was done well, but my god it was SO stressful. They were also reputable, had done a neighbours garden, had good reviews etc. However, they had a few jobs on at once so clearly ours wasn't their priority. He told us we would be done in 2 weeks, it was months in the end. And they ran out of slabs and never came back to finish it! We got some money back from them at the end but it wasn't easy and I had to threaten with small claims court.

It wasn't the team it was the boss I had issues with. From talking to others they've had similar experiences with contractors.

I think it will be done, but it won't be in the timeframe you expected.

Original poster
RicktheBrick · 13/04/2023 10:16

Yes 7k is the deposit, the garden is very big and in very bad condition, they're ripping up and laying a new patio which is huge, leveling and returfing the lawn which is also huge, and then doubling the size of the driveway. It is a big job, we had quotes that were 25k.

OP posts:
Original poster
RicktheBrick · 13/04/2023 10:17

SunshineGeorgie · 13/04/2023 10:14

'Spouted on here'....how rude!

How is that rude 🤣 wow!

OP posts:
maddening · 13/04/2023 10:18

Do you have all the materials on your site now?

How much have you paid so far?

Original poster
RicktheBrick · 13/04/2023 10:19

whiteonesugar · 13/04/2023 10:16

This happened to us when we had our garden done too. No shows, no communication etc. They came and dug it all up after I got annoyed but then left it for 2 weeks as it was. The team did do it eventually, and what they did was done well, but my god it was SO stressful. They were also reputable, had done a neighbours garden, had good reviews etc. However, they had a few jobs on at once so clearly ours wasn't their priority. He told us we would be done in 2 weeks, it was months in the end. And they ran out of slabs and never came back to finish it! We got some money back from them at the end but it wasn't easy and I had to threaten with small claims court.

It wasn't the team it was the boss I had issues with. From talking to others they've had similar experiences with contractors.

I think it will be done, but it won't be in the timeframe you expected.

Oh god, it really is so stressful isn't it!! I'm glad yours was done and done well in the end.

OP posts:
maddening · 13/04/2023 10:20

I would stress less once I had 7k of materials, equipment and labour

Original poster
RicktheBrick · 13/04/2023 10:22

maddening · 13/04/2023 10:18

Do you have all the materials on your site now?

How much have you paid so far?

No, we have 2 packs of 13 packs of slabs. And a large pile of sand and a load of cement. Apparently the rest of the slabs are being delivered by a lorry as there's so many. We also have a load of hardcore for the driveway but they haven't even started on that yet.

They've also taken the mini digger which concerns me as they're not done digging out everything that needs doing yet.

OP posts:
Original poster
RicktheBrick · 13/04/2023 10:24

The thing that's making me more annoyed is that next door but 1 are having their garden and driveway done also by a different company (but less work as not as bad to begin with), and they've made way more progress, and have been there every day.

I wish we'd gone with the other company we wanted and paid the extra 2k they wanted 😭

OP posts:
billy1966 · 13/04/2023 10:33

I had someone do a job and it was painful.

It took 3 times as long as what was agreed.

It has cost them though.

I told everyone that whilst they did do a good job, dealing with them was awful and I wouldn't wish them on an enemy.

Everyone since has given the company a swerve.

That is 18 years ago.

Only last year I got a text from a friend of a friend asking about the work they did as they quoted her for work and name checked our house.

I told her the same story and gave her another name of a guy who was fab and did a great job.

OP, whatever happens, leave a truthful review.

Take a few pictures of the mess and ask them when they are coming back.

Plague them.
Every day.

I would be calling multiple times a day.

Leftphalange100 · 13/04/2023 10:39

I would guees they are trying to juggle other jobs or a previous job has run over. I think by what you've said it will get done, but it's going to be a slow process.

Original poster
RicktheBrick · 13/04/2023 10:46

Well things aren't looking good. Just spoke to next door but ones landscaper who apparently knows the guy who is doing our garden. Said he's really dodgy, changes his company name regularly to avoid negative reviews (have now found an old company and the review confirm what's been said), and they've been to a couple of jobs he's done to correct the work as it's so shoddy. Oh god I think I'm going to have a panic attack 😭😭😭 how do we get our money back, because me DH will literally find out where he lives and put his windows through. FFS!!

OP posts:
Viviennemary · 13/04/2023 10:49

They just sound like your typically unreliable workmen. Nothing new there. So annoying. Always an excuse. Child ill is a classic.

SparkyBlue · 13/04/2023 10:52

OP don't panic yet. They could just be finishing other jobs. That happened us on our garden as well.

Anewuser · 13/04/2023 10:55

Yep, as @Viviennemary says, always an excuse. They have the most unreliable vans as they’re always breaking down as well. Or they’ve had a bereavement - who has the balls to question that?

We’ve had a lot of work done over the years so always do our homework by looking at companies house accounts etc as well as reviews.

Are they on check a trade or anything like that, so you could report them?

Original poster
RicktheBrick · 13/04/2023 10:55

SparkyBlue · 13/04/2023 10:52

OP don't panic yet. They could just be finishing other jobs. That happened us on our garden as well.

I really want to not panic but see my previous post! Just had a good cry down the phone to DH who is not best pleased.

OP posts:
Original poster
RicktheBrick · 13/04/2023 10:59

It's now been nearly 3 hours since they were here, why bother even turning up for 5 minutes?

OP posts:
Retrievemysanity · 13/04/2023 10:59

We had similar but with builders and plumbers. I was very naive and didn’t realise they often have several jobs going at once. In our case, the builder was in severe financial difficulties and would take deposits from new jobs to finish existing jobs. We had every excuse under the sun: kids ill, covid, divorce, bereavement, vans breaking down, need to get more parts. It’s so stressful.