Trader asking for 50% of quote for cancellation

[MotherofPufflings]

Appreciate any advice from people with legal knowledge. We had an individual round to quote for roofing repairs a couple of weeks ago, via Facebook recommendation. Got the quote through a few days later and late on Friday afternoon I responded by text to say we wanted to proceed. I then got a reply asking for a 30% deposit before they would book us in (no bank details provided, which was a bit weird). I then got another message this morning with bank details, again saying we needed to pay to secure a date, but we'd be looking at Thursday or Friday this week.

I then got a bit twitchy knowing that most people are booked up weeks in advance and did some Googling. I was not reassured (no address on website, no listing on companies house, phone number links to multiple different businesses etc). So I replied saying that we didn't want to go ahead.

I then got an email saying that they'd incurred costs for materials and they'd got no other work for "the team" now because they'd booked us in. This has apparently happened between 5pm on Friday and 12pm today 🤔 I've told him to jog on, but where do I stand legally if he pursues it further?

I doubt they would take you to small claims so hopefully it will end now.

Did the quote have terms on it?

You haven't signed anything, he's 100% scammer. Well saved OP

Generally the deposit is what is used to pay for materials if the client fails to pay later as well as to guarantee the job. You didn't pay it so it didn't guarantee it. I would be shocked if he has a leg to stand on legally here. Even if he paid for anything (doubtful) it was his stupid fault for doing so without the deposit in hand.

It said 30% deposit required to secure the works start date.

As PP said. The deposit process was the secure time and materials. No deposit was paid. End of story.

How awful for you. I would block them on everything and listen to this episode of Scam Secrets.

You did the right thing by not proceeding.

Nope. If he bought materials before you had signed and paid the deposit, that's on him. Definitely a scammer. Walk away.

Thanks all, hopefully I don't hear anything further from him. It's a bit unnerving that he obviously knows where I live now 😕

Maybe report him to trading standards.. he might be (successfully) scamming old/vulnerable people.

That's fine then. You didn't pay the deposit so you made no commitment. If he takes you to small claims he will lose.

Dear Mr Roofer
We have no contractual agreement and I made no commitment. You asked me to pay a 30% deposit to secure your services and if I had done so that would have been reasonable to take as a commitment, but I didn't. I decided I do not want to take up your services and I have no contractual obligations to do so. If you incurred expenses before reciept of a deposit then that is your own mistake and your own responsibility - the entire point of asking for a % deposit to secure your services is so that you don't incur expenses without commitment from the potential customer. Please do not contact me again and remove my contact details from all your systems under the GDPR "right to be forgotten".
Yours sincerely
@MotherofPufflings

This. This sounds like a scam, do not give them a penny. Any professional would NOT have bought materials before securing the job.

Lucky escape!

which you haven’t paid meaning you haven’t made the commitment for the work
this has scam written all over it
they have no legal recourse for you

Yes, I think so. He suggested we do more work than I'd originally intended, so on the plus side I'm assuming that we don't actually need that doing after all 😄

It does sound like the modus operandi of the scammers in the podcast that I linked to earlier.

Our ndn was nearly scammed by a roofer. When we had our exterior painted mdn asked if dh would check .no loose tiles off at all.

I'll listen to it on my way home, thanks. Love the username btw

Thank you and right back at you

You didn't pay the deposit so didn't secure work start date. They are trying it on.

Have they been in touch again @MotherofPufflings?

@ExplodingSmittens Nope, I haven't heard anything so far 🤞

Hopefully they’ve realised that the scam isn’t working on you and have moved on.

You hadn’t even confirmed you wanted to book them in! I’d have a laugh with this one.. let them spend some money trying to sue you in smalls claims😂