Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. A phone that grows with your child.

Meet the Other Phone.
A phone that grows with your child.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Not able to contact plumber - he has £3000

134 replies

Hello113 · 05/12/2024 14:29

Plumber was meant to start my bathroom this week but I can't reach him. I've been trying for 2.5 weeks. I've WhatsApp, text, email and call - nothing. Phone goes straight to voicemail. As of yesterday my WhatsApp messages are on one tick. He has £3000 of mine which I paid for materials. What to do now???

OP posts:
EatTheBastard · 05/12/2024 20:42

Contact your bank right now OP. When this happened to me, they froze the bank account of the ‘tradesperson’ and I got all the money back

BlueMum16 · 05/12/2024 20:45

If be calling at his house if you have his address.

anotherday11 · 05/12/2024 20:47

Hello113 · 05/12/2024 19:32

Bank transfer

Show quote history

Call your bank ASAP, they will block the account the money went into so he’ll be screwed if he has any direct debits coming out as his account will be frozen until the situation is resolved.

My friend was in the same position as you except she had paid £1k. After her bank froze his account, he had a Facebook rant about customers trying to ruin his life. A few clients of his posted on his thread - it looked like what he was taking the money from one client and using it to fund buying materials for another’s job and had got away with delaying people by giving them sob stories, but his phone got cut off as he didn’t pay his bill and that was his downfall.

Shoemadlady · 05/12/2024 20:55

Get a different friend or family member to try and contact him about a potential job, see if he answers and get him round for a quote and be there waiting

PassingStranger · 05/12/2024 21:17

Always get a recommendations from happy people.
People are so selfish conning others, I would love to ask them how would they like it done to them?

inmyera · 05/12/2024 21:24

Hello113 · 05/12/2024 19:32

I don't know, how would I be able to find this out?

Show quote history

honestly give your bank a call if you paid by transfer, when someone suggested I do this for the fencing issue we had, I didn't think anything would come of it but they got our money back by claiming it from their bank.

TwinklyAmberOrca · 05/12/2024 21:25

Hello113 · 05/12/2024 19:25

Same as me. I do have his address because it's on the invoice.

Show quote history

That's good. Look on Google maps to see if it exists and start doing some research and Google the address to see if you can link it to him.

Or just turn up at it?!?!

MoleAndBadger · 05/12/2024 21:25

I am sorry. Never pay by bank transfer. Always use a credit or even debit card. You have more rights.

Mexicansky · 05/12/2024 21:26

Firstly contact your bank and secondly if someone had £3k of my money and I had their address I would be straight round there!

LigamentBandy · 05/12/2024 21:28

Is this "friend" someone you know well or recently? ( Could they be involved?)
Google his address ? His company name & given name to see if you can find out anything more.
Facebook check him?
Checkatrade isn't a great as ppl think not all reviews are legit.
The bank /money back thing I think you need proper legal advice it's a confusing area as you " willingly" have him money
Fingers crossed for you

senseofdevelopment · 05/12/2024 21:31

Sometimes these tradesmen are cocaine addicts. So they sometimes do legit work but other times they convince someone to give them thousands and do disappearing acts having put it all up their noses. Can also explain if they reappear with a sob story to try and get more out of you for a small portion of the work...

Doitrightnow · 05/12/2024 21:34

Almost exactly this happened to me.

We sent a Letter of Intent threatening court action to his address, which he definitely received as he then phoned us to shout abuse.

But we never actually proceeded, because after phoning our bank (we'd paid by bank transfer) they amazingly refunded us the full amount! I'd try that!

Gettoachiro · 05/12/2024 21:40

I'd be going to the address.

LigamentBandy · 05/12/2024 21:40

senseofdevelopment · 05/12/2024 21:31

Sometimes these tradesmen are cocaine addicts. So they sometimes do legit work but other times they convince someone to give them thousands and do disappearing acts having put it all up their noses. Can also explain if they reappear with a sob story to try and get more out of you for a small portion of the work...

Well that's a stretch!

senseofdevelopment · 06/12/2024 06:34

LigamentBandy · 05/12/2024 21:40

Well that's a stretch!

Show quote history

What I mean is that if you are ripped off for large amounts of money, a substance or gambling addiction or probably both is often behind it. So by many of these tradespeople I mean the ones who scam people out of money rather than them as a whole. But it's an attractive way of working for those with substance abuse, lump sums cash in hand...
It's actually far more of a stretch to believe everyone who scams people does it with no money burning addiction behind it.
Being aware of this it can put you on guard against the possibility that they re-emerge ready to actually work for a bit.
It happens a lot more than you think if you can say this is a stretch - so be careful with your naivety.

PromoJoJo · 06/12/2024 06:41

This reply has been withdrawn

Withdrawn at the poster's request.

Modernfamily2011 · 06/12/2024 09:13

This happened to me last Christmas as well, paid a 'deposit' - on the day he was supposed to start, he didn't turn up, after I called him multiple times, he said his tools had been stolen, stupidly, I believed him! Weeks went by with excuse after excuse about how he was waiting for his insurance etc
We decided to ask for our money back and he then decided he was going to turn up, he then proceeded to rip out our bathroom and ask us for more money!!
Again, I paid him extra to 'finish' the job but he disappeared and for an entire year, i've heard all sorts of excuses
in the end i've had to go via small claims court but whilst it's an easy process to do, it takes a long time and we're still £2k out of pocket
It's awful and I really hope you get it sorted, it's unbelievable how someone can do this and not care

LigamentBandy · 06/12/2024 09:38

This reply has been deleted

Withdrawn at the poster's request.

How's that going to help ?
Knock knock.... Hiya can I have my three grand back?
No, they could be attacked for turning up, could be the wrong address

Dangerous and silly.
Anything could happen

Lonelyman1982 · 06/12/2024 17:55

Hi there my advice would be if a tradesman asks for 3 grand up front before any work has even been done I'd be worried I'm a self employed handyman ,builder and I only take part payment at certain stages after work has been completed In stages and is agreed by customer to be good standard of work that way everyone is happy and no stress of chasing builders for money.i hope you get your issue resolved as soon as possible

Mrsgreen100 · 06/12/2024 18:09

Go to his house!!
take big male with u

LigamentBandy · 06/12/2024 18:11

Mrsgreen100 · 06/12/2024 18:09

Go to his house!!
take big male with u

Ridiculous advice
Violence is really going to help in this situation?!

Mrsgreen100 · 06/12/2024 19:41

Not that at all… ffs just hi we where in the area desperately trying to get hold of you
wondering if u lost your phone etc,
it’s a crazy time of year for trades , worth a go
just in case ,

LigamentBandy · 06/12/2024 19:43

Mrsgreen100 · 06/12/2024 19:41

Not that at all… ffs just hi we where in the area desperately trying to get hold of you
wondering if u lost your phone etc,
it’s a crazy time of year for trades , worth a go
just in case ,

What about the " big male" then?
Why is he needed?

cabbageking · 06/12/2024 19:44

If you paid by card you may wish to contact your bank and request a charge-back if the plumber is in breach of their contract.

Mrsgreen100 · 06/12/2024 20:10

Because it will help you to feel safe
and look safe
oh and be safe
not something to to as a lone female, obviously