We booked a local electrician who is known and recommended locally to move some sockets and change our oven/hob wiring during our kitchen refit that we are doing ourselves. We also wanted 3 bathroom extractor fans changing and an additional socket in the garage.
He asked for a 50% deposit of £980 which we paid by bank transfer. We decided it was worth the risk due to his positive reviews and recommendations from 2 people we know personally. He had visited our home to do the quote and seemed friendly and helpful.
However, when it came to the planned week he was going to do the work, he did not contact us. We had removed all kitchen units and needed to have the electrical work done before being able to make progress with plastering.
After contacting him we arranged a date for the Friday of the week after the week he was supposed to do it, which he then cancelled. He then arranged two more dates in the week after that, both of which he cancelled.
At this point we decided we wanted to find someone else to do the job who would actually turn up on the date arranged. We informed him of this and said he would refund us over the weekend.
We booked a different electrician who has since done the work and we have paid, but the first electrician still hasn't refunded our deposit.
It has been 2 1/2 weeks since he said he would refund us and we have messaged him several times and each time he says he will refund it over the next couple of days and doesn't.
Last night I sent him a formal letter detailing the events that led to our cancellation of the contract and our communications and requested payment by the end of this week. If he doesn't pay, what you would do?
We have a local Facebook group where I could warn people about him. He has a Facebook page with lots of positive reviews where I could write a review. My neighbour says his child goes to the same school as her daughter so I don't think he's going to be able to just disappear. I could write a further letter saying I will apply to the small claims court if he does not pay within 14 days.
I am hoping my formal letter will make him realise I am not going to let this go and he will pay us. Really we want our money back.
This has also been incredibly stressful as our kitchen refit, which we are doing ourselves, is now really behind schedule as we had to wait several weeks between removing the old one and having electrics done. We did not want more stress from having to battle to get a refund.
I have now learnt from this experience and will never pay a deposit again by bank transfer for services not yet completed. But advice about how to best proceed if my formal letter doesn't work would be appreciated.