Help! I've been really stupid and I think I've been scammed

[cantbelieveiwassostupid]

Just got a new driveway. I thought it was with a reputable company - found on which trusted trader.

They wanted payment in cash after the job was done, and I stupidly agreed. Now I have paid in cash and noticing significant problems, eg drainage not connected to anything. I also suspect that the base is very substandard.

I'm going through a divorce and a busy time at work, I just didn't have my head in this properly.

Is there anything I can do to get the work fixed/recover the money??

• I have an invoice on company headed paper, but they have not signed it.
• I have a copy of their signage which they left outside my house.
• I have screenshots of the person I have been texting, where he is asking me to leave a positive review before he fixes anything, including telling me that I need to do it by a certain time so that he can get a bonus.

Possible things I am thinking of:

• report to the police (perhaps this is premature?)
• report to which trusted trader/checkatrade/anything else they are registered to (including the screenshots where they have put pressure on for me to do a review)
• ask for some money back from the driveway company in exchange for not sharing the screenshots with checkatrade etc

Trading standards are the ones to contact

Tell them they’ve got 14 days to come back and repair or tell them you are going to do a honest review. I doubt they will come back if you give a good review before they come back.

Do you have any communications in writing from them that they wanted cash or that you are going to pay them cash etc? If you do, screen shot them all and use them as evidence if it escalates further.
Decline any negotiations with them until they address the snagging list that you present to them.
I would put it in writing along the lines of:
To driveway company,
On 21.09.25 I paid you £ in cash as requested for the completion of tarmacking my driveway at the above address.
Since completion of the works I have noted a number of issues to include:
Blocked drain to west side of property
Unlevel area by door
Blah blah blah.
I would be most grateful if you could meet with me to discuss how you will rectify these issues within the next 7 working days of this letter.

Regards
Can't believe

Make sure you detail in there the cash payment and date they received it. Im sure someone else will come along and reword this better for you but it is essential that all communications from now on are only on writing

I would try to give the trader the opportunity to rectify matters first. If that is futile you can be referred to Trading Standards through the Citizens Advice Consumer helpline. Alternatively (or in addition to) you may be able to pursue a civil remedy in the County Court in accordance with the Consumer Rights Act 2015- have a look at the Act on legislation.gov.uk

https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/consumer/get-more-help/if-you-need-more-help-about-a-consumer-issue/

have you actually contacted them

Report them to HMRC. If they are going a poor job for customers, I doubt their paperwork will be correct, either.

This is a good idea.
The trouble is that they also did not give me a proper receipt so one of the things I want rectified is that.
And also, I am now thinking that there are problems with the base and the general quality, but I won't be able to prove any of that. For example, they claim to have dug out a large tree but I don't think they have actually done that.

I think I have enough evidence with screenshots asking me to leave reviews in exchange for work being carried out/by a certain time so that they get a bonus, that I could potentially get them removed from the review sites. So do I go ahead with that or do I tell the company that I will share the screenshots if they don't fix the work and/or give me refund?

If the good review is so important then yes give them time to return and rectify the problems. I doubt they will take it up to show you whether the tree has been removed though.

Is that through the Which magazine Trusted Trader site? If so, they are a bit more stringent than the other sites as they put their name (Which) behind their recommendations. They do spot checks on the traders work for example. I would contact them and tell them of your experience and see what they say/suggest.

With whom are you communicating and who will be paying them the bonus? Is there someone more senior to speak with?

Yes, it is the one from Which.

I will contact them if not sorted soon. Thanks for the advice

You should not leave a positive review until you are happy with the work. You should give them a timeframe to rectify the issue, and confirm that you will leave a good review upon completion.

Their bonus isn't really your concern, if it was that important to them they would have earned it by ensuring their work was up to standard the first time. I expect they're just using that line to manipulate you into posting a good review so that they can claim you were happy with the work as is.