Anyone referred their lying, inept, twat of a builder to Trading Standards?

[yellowbirdie]

I understand most people have wonderful builders but if like us you had the misfortune of employing a scumbag - what did you do about it? If you reported them to Trading Standards what was involved? Would you recommend it as a worthwhile thing to do?

I don't want him or his band of idiots anywhere near my house again, but I do want to warn off others.

I'm currently speaking to a solicitor about suing him but the only reason to litigate would to get back the money he owes us (approx. £40k). He claims to have no money so there's no point. Although he is a slippery weasel that is incapable of telling the truth, I do believe by his ineptitude he does not have any money. If this is the case I'm guessing he was trading whilst insolvent. Albeit I see his company hasn't been dissolved or struck off yet.

Thanks to this lying twat our extention was an expensive nightmare. I'm wondering if contacting Trading Standards would just add to the trauma of it all? It is so unfair this turd of a human being can get away with what he's done. We did have a contract which he breached on numerous occassions. As you can see I'm pretty pissed by the whole experience!

Any advice would be gratefully received!

Advice would be think about the mental stress of drawing it out. However not many people can afford to lose 40k so maybe you have no choice in the matter. Hope things go well whatever you decide.
PS no builder is perfect but yours sounds like they took the biscuit. I think I must have missed your thread though or I might have more advice.

I wonder if he was also our builder. What area are you? It made me so ill, it felt like we had been burgled every day for about a year. He had done similar to others and I would hate anyone else to go through it.

Sorry to hear of your troubles OP. I tried to refer a charlatan window firm to trading standards. Useless. I honestly don't know who they are there for when it was clear the guy was taking deposits for contracts he couldn't fulfil. I did however use the section 75 rule of credit cards to get my money back even though I had only used it for £100 as a deposit for the £25k the charlatan firm had. It took 2 years and a change of lawyer but I got it back. The firm went bust eventually so I guess the owner got his just desserts but I do feel bad that had trading standards taken the complaint more seriously (believe me I tried) then less people would've been scammed. If you have the stomach for the fight, I say go for it. Or write a factual Google review. Only the poster can remove or alter it. Firms like that don't usually realise why business has taken a downturn until it is too late...but at least you have warned others of their practice.

Thanks for your replies. It sounds like it won't be worth the anguish, especially if TS are useless. Let's hope karma catchings up with him.

onceyoupop I feel your pain! Everytime I view his incompetence in my home I want to weep or boil with anger. It is costing us even more money to have things redone. We're in the SE.