Near miss with a cowboy tradesman. How do you

[trainingdaydenz]

find your good tradesmen and how do you hold them accountable legally.

I asked this charlatan to do the landscaping with best practice and to building regs verbally. He said that the other landscaper was trying to scare me by saying it's over the level is too high for the damp course.

I decided to put it in writing and wrote a job spec saying that the works need to be done to building regs etc. Low and behold he is now saying the level is too high and putting how it needs to be done properly and upped the quote to a ridiculous amount. I really don't know how these people sleep at night. They are vile.

The problem is I found him on Bali and there is a legal comeback for tradesmen who use this association membership. He STILL tried to do a bodge job that would have a surveyor spinning.

If you can't trust people even on these type of sites where can you a decent one?

Recommendations on NEXT DOOR, Facebook etc are usually from the wives, associates or the tradesmen themselves, so I don't trust them. They are easy to spot!

My neighbour doesn't want to recommend her landscaper because there paving came loose and the other one doesn't know anybody.

I am going to try Buy With Confidence the Government trading standards website where the first landscaper came from. I found him very weird and he had a clause that he could change the quote at his discretion and charge more! I would like someone who honours the quote! So even using these sites you have to be very careful.

Any advice on how you choose reputable people I am all ears, as the flooring people are just as shady! Also do you pay them at the end on invoice? How do you keep them legally accountable? I've heard too many stories on here about people leaving the job unfinished or shoddy and then just pay again.

Interestingly everyone has turned up when they said they would so far!

Which? Have recommended trades people. The people I’ve used from their list have been brilliant. But you do need to subscribe to Which? At about £10.99 per month but I think worth it. I also use Which? Reviews when buying tech or expensive items.

edited to say that we pay once the work has been completed to the standard we are happy with, unless otherwise agreed. There have been a couple of trades people that we have paid 50% once 50% has been completed (and we don’t budge from this is 30% or 40% has been completed) and are clear what is going to be achieved to get the 50% instalment.

I also make it very clear that I will only pay via card or bank transfer. I will not pay cash and make sure that is clear up front.

@Wigtopia Oh really I'll have a look at that in that case. It's great that you've found great people on there.

To be honest we have also had a couple of misery stories for small jobs, so like you just want to make sure we protect ourselves and our home!!

But not from Which? ?

Some great tips about payment. I will do that and EVERYTHING is being put in emails and bcc'd to myself, so they can't say that they didn't receive it. I'm sure these con men and women would cry like babies if they weren't paid!

The thing is I KNEW when I put in the job spec must be done to building regs etc, he would change his tune! I'm sorry to say I was quite upset and angry. I know I shouldn't take it personally but dealing with these types has really got me down about how willing many people are to lie, cheat and exploit.

He even said to me that I'm a lady of leisure (I'm certainly not) because I had a Tesco delivery and he said he won't let his wife do that.

Rant over lol!

Can you dispute bank transfers? Does it have to be a business account to do that?

Omg, what a patronising twat.

Won’t let her? Charming.

Online reviews are a cesspit of fake these days. It’s really disappointing that the internet has gone from something you can somewhat trust to something you need to be a private eye in to unravel if reviews have been paid for or bots in a bit server room has written them.

Hahaha no! We signed up to Which? after being stung!! You can also report back to Which? if there is any unsavoury behaviour but not had to do that yet!!

It doesn’t have to be a business account, as Sole Traders legitimately use a personal bank account.But maybe when discussing paying only by bank transfer/card before they start any work for you, you also stipulate upfront that you need an invoice for anything you pay before paying it?

edited to say my worst nightmare is people sending me bank details via WhatsApp. I had a bit of back and forth before he finally sent me an invoice!!

My husband is a tradesman and gets a lot of his work via word of mouth. Once you find a decent tradesman you can ask him/ her if they can recommend other trades that they have worked with. Most will only recommend the decent ones they know and have worked with.

Yes the good ones we shout about!!! One of the chaps we had has since done about 5 other houses in the street 😄

it is a shame that the bad ones make people wary of the good ones. There are indeed many great ones out there!

Yes thank you, this is definitely something I've thought of doing when I find a goodun!

@wigtopia Thank you so much you have honestly lifted a weight off my shoulders today and I'm reading through Which? as we speak. It is worth the sign up!

I've always found recommendations from friends and neighbours the best way to go. When we moved, our neighbours helped us avoid a few expensive mistakes by recommending a roofing company who had done most of the street at various times, and a boiler company (also recomm3nded by the guy who put up.our TV aerial, who himself was recommended by the people.across the street)

So I can’t help really with websites as my DH gets most of his work via word of mouth and has had just as many bad experiences with customers that he’s found off certain websites (like my builder, checkatrade etc) so he tends to avoid those now.

In terms of protecting yourself, the very basics of contract law means that if you are provided a quote for the work and the quote is accepted; this then forms a contract. So if either party breaches the contract (if the work is not completed or if you decide not to pay for example) either party can take the other to court to sue.

I would make sure you get a proper quote in by email (we have decent t&c’s on ours but not every builder does) and make sure it’s comprehensive about the work that’s being undertaken. Ask questions about anything you don’t understand. Most builders will expect to be paid at the end of a job if it’s small and in phases if it’s a large job. Occasionally they will ask for a deposit upfront for material costs which is fairly normal but absolutely the final payment is only paid once the work is completed and you’re happy with it.

I've only 2 neighbours and one said her landscaper was shoddy but gave me the number of her carpenter who laid her flooring.

The other neighbours couldn't help.

I've had good luck on our local FB page because its moderators do their best to head off recommendations from builders' family members and when you get endorsements from several other people and then interview them yourself, and get everything in writing, the chances are good that you've got someone good, but it takes so much time and effort!

Thank you good advice. Some refuse to do a breakdown, so their are automatically disqualified!

The websites I was after were the ones like the op suggested like Which? where tradesmen are held accountable for shoddy work and poor practice. My neighbour has now been left with loose paving and of course they won't redo them. If she used such a website she could pursue.

Hopefully more people will only use these types of sites so that it becomes easier to sort the wheat from the chaff.

Word of mouth is always the way to go but you need to ask plenty of people. You could always ask at the local garden centres if they have anyone they recommend. I've done that when I was looking for a decorator - I asked at the local trade paint place who they'd recommend and it worked out well.