WWYD? Tradesman off sick long term

[totallybonafido]

I engaged a tradesman for a job back in Nov, the scaffolding was supposed to go up today. The job has already been pushed back, it was supposed to be done in January but the guy went off sick for a few weeks. Now I hear from him that he still isn't well, and he won't be back at work until August.

I have paid him £5k deposit for ordering materials, he assures me that everything is ordered and paid for, but he physically can't do the job. He works on his own, he doesn't have a team.

WWYD? I feel like I'm being taken for a mug, I need the job done before next winter and he could turn around in August and tell me that he's still not fit for work!

Ask him to have the materials delivered to your home as they're yours. He can do the job when he's better or you can get someone else to do it.

Assume he's a roofer?

Edited to add, he won't have paid the scaffolder yet, I can guarantee it, so you want a refund for the scaffolding.

No not a roofer @TerfTalking, windows. I don't know where I would put the materials, but probably a good idea.

Oh god, now worried that he will go bust because he can't work and I will have lost the money!

Tell him to return the materials and give you a full refund!!

Yes tell him to give you back the money and get a refund on the goods. Like a PP said, if he says hes paid a scaffolding company already he's lying as all scaffolding is invoiced after it is erected, never beforehand.

I said I wasn't prepared to wait that long and fortunately he returned the deposit straight away. Now to start the whole process again 😡

It is a shame that you couldn't wait, they are clearly a decent tradesman and you can get some terrible cowboys.

I also understand why you can't wait though, I feel very sorry for tradesmen in this position. If he needs that long off ill it must be pretty nasty what ever he has because self employed people never time time off as it's so costly to them and their buisness to do so.

I'd try to get the money back. That's probably because I was ripped off by a thieving workman some years ago who took my money to do a job in my kitchen but then became 'ill' in all sorts of ways. Eventually it turned out he was just a thief. Wouldn't deliver the things he pretended to have bought to me either. Had a lot going on with sick parent at the time so decided to let it go, but it still rankles. Beware 🙁

Oh, I see you have your money back, which is good news. Clearly he's a decent bloke.