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Property/DIY

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Trades people who don't turn up

17 replies

soonshimmie · 12/06/2021 06:27

We're renovating almost all our house.

I've had loads of people come to quote for work only to never hear from them again. Ok - they don't want the job but this is frustrating.

Worse though is the plasterer who quoted, booked in for a couple of months down the line - we planned lots of other jobs around this - the day comes and he doesn't turn up. We call etc and nothing until he eventually texts to say his van has broken down and it will be a week til he can get it back.

At this point I sense bullshit but DH wants to give the benefit of doubt. He strings us along then for another week until he finally doesn't turn up once the van would be fixed and stops answering.

So we have now got to put off a load of subsequent work that was reliant on the plastering being done. Thankfully this is stuff was DIY so we won't let down other people but it sets us back months as we can't get another plasterer for ages.

Why bother quoting and stringing along? Why not just say you don't want the job? So frustrating!

OP posts:
PracticingPerson · 12/06/2021 06:30

Yeah, I don't understand either. But it happens enough to be a recognised thing. I'm always surprised when they turn up.

Emelene · 12/06/2021 06:30

Very frustrating. I waited in all afternoon yesterday with 2 small kids for a booked boiler service and the engineer didn’t bother to show up. Angry

Luckystar1 · 12/06/2021 06:35

I’ve found that the best way to find a tradesperson, is to ask for recommendations from a reliable tradesperson you are already using. Or ask them to contact them for you. We have been extremely lucky using this method.

We have been repeatedly let down by not using it!

DirectionsForUse · 12/06/2021 06:37

I had a plumber come this week. I was so surprised he actually arrived when he said he would, I let him do all the work I needed without asking the price!

soonshimmie · 12/06/2021 06:39

Yes the new one we have booked in is the one our roofer recommended so I'm hopeful - got to wait till September to know though!

OP posts:
billysboy · 12/06/2021 06:46

He’s had a better offer just move on , put an ad on ur local Facebook book group

Ifailed · 12/06/2021 07:13

take him to small claims court, you had a contract (it doesn't have to be written down), have a word will a local solicitor.

Bluntness100 · 12/06/2021 07:17

@Ifailed

take him to small claims court, you had a contract (it doesn't have to be written down), have a word will a local solicitor.
Don’t be silly now. 😂

Op, yes it’s a ball ache. I’d one who had done previous work for me, quoted for a job, said he would be there within next two weeks. Never heard from the fucker again. It’s just so bloody rude.

CoolKitkat · 12/06/2021 07:26

It's sooooooooooo frustrating! I've had a number of plumbers round to look at some work, one who even redid my previous bathroom!. They all spend ages looking at the work that needs doing, get a decent conversation going etc. And then ... nothing! Why bother coming to quote, wasting your time and mine, if you don't want any work?

Agree it's such a waste of time, and really messes us around. And these are people who have been recommended to me!

RockPainting · 12/06/2021 07:31

I’m just going to throw this out there for understanding.

Tradespeople become tradespeople because they like working on the tools. They’re often chronically disorganised and really struggle with the admin side.

Seeing a job is easy… pricing it, booking it in, keeping the comms going… much less so.

If you like the look of them go heavy on comms on your side. Chase up those quotes, and reconfirm any and all dates for the work.

You shouldn’t have to but it’s what you may have to do.

ItsSnowJokes · 12/06/2021 07:33

I have had this recently. They come out "to quote" go through everything we wanted and then we never get the quote from them! I chased once and got wooly excuses that they hadn't quite finished the quote yet, waiting on a suppliers price. 4 weeks later I messaged again and got the same excuse so I gave up chasing and moved on to another tradesman. Just say upfront you don't want the job!

It also could cost them in the long run as I then tell everyone else to steer clear of them as they are unreliable.

soonshimmie · 12/06/2021 07:38

I've definitely moved on from this guy. I'm just worried about it happening again after waiting another several weeks.

I'm having a kitchen fitted next week - imagine if they didn't turn up and all the stuff had arrived..! Luckily my guy for this job is the same guy who did our old kitchen in previous house - and a colleague's DH - so I know he'll show.

OP posts:
rainbowstardrops · 12/06/2021 07:45

We asked a relative who's a tradesman for recommendations for an electrician and a plumber when we needed some work doing.
The electrician turned up on the Saturday morning with his (I assume) apprentice. All fine. He had a look at what needed doing, went up in the loft etc and then said he needed to go off and get some more tools etc and we never saw him again!!!! Didn't ever explain why. Nothing!
The plumber on the other hand, is great and we always use him now.
It's so annoying!

Livingintheclouds · 12/06/2021 07:58

I used to flip.properties. my worst situation was I was buying a hoyse at auction so very little was known about it. I git my trades to look to quote on the jobs so I could see of it made financial sense. My wall guys, who I had worked with before came out three times- first pre purchase to quote, second time to discuss scheduling for their work which jad to happen first (taking down a wall etc), then a week before start to confirm any changes after structural engineer's report. Then I never saw the again. I guess they got a bigger job/broke a leg/moved to.another country, but why not just pick up.the phone and say so? Like you we rearranged things fir a couple weeks while waiting, called a bazillion times, but no joy. And I knew them!
Too much work and the inability to say 'no'.

Livingintheclouds · 12/06/2021 07:58

Excuse typos.

tiredteacher100 · 12/06/2021 08:05

Does he have a place you can leave a review? If it was me I'd just leave a very factual review stating what happened. Its annoying when people don't turn up to quote, but to not turn up when they are booked in to start the work is really bad

ISaidDontLickTheBin · 12/06/2021 08:08

We had one not turn up, said he'd been in hospital then ghosted us. Then a couple of weeks later posted a pic on his business page of the job he'd clearly been working on instead Angry

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