Builder potentially not coming back to finish the work and have paid upfront - is there anything you can do in the situation?

[Biosblbay]

I could be wrong here but we haven’t heard from our builder in a while, we chased him up yesterday morning via WhatsApp and haven’t heard back from him and he has been online since, and my husband has messaged him again just now so fingers crossed we do get a response. No work has been done since Tuesday 3rd February due to rain (as it’s our garden being completely re done) and then he come down with the flu so has been off sick. This is all fine and understandable but just worried that we are being ignored on purpose. He even said he was going to come last Saturday (7th) to catch up but never turned up and didn’t message us to let us know. We have paid £8k upfront for the work to be done and we have even said to him we have a lot more work for him upcoming as there is a lot to do in our house, including our front garden, new fences, new bathroom and potentially a new kitchen so there is more money here for him. This job started on Wednesday 28th January and was told the job would be done in 10 days so it has already longer than expected and is only half done.

If we have been messed about and he has no intention of coming back, what do we do? Is there anything we can do? Thanks in advance

Oh OP. 🤦🏻‍♀️

I’m going to bet you’ve no contract either.

Sorry to hear your update. Too late now but never pay money up front. Buy materials if necessary but not payment until the job is done. I would put aessag on Next Door App warning others not to us him. Also go back to BARK and complain too.

I was thinking never pay whole upfront and this is why

not your problem that he needs to pay his workers

so has he said he isn’t coming back or this is what you have found out that he’s a con man

talk to your home insurance to see if have legal aid

issue a ccj

I hope you had proof of paying him and not cash - or least have a receipt /bacs

Similar thing happened to us a few years back. Didn’t get the money back and we even saw him around - he ‘apologised’ but basically said there’s nothing we can do. He was right - we’re still trying our luck with small claims court but it’s literally futile. I’m sorry.

I'm so sorry OP. 😞. It's an awful feeling. Our builders also walked off our job and we never heard from them again, however we were even Stevens at that stage and they left their tools behind, which I flogged after several months had passed and they clearly weren't going to show their faces again. We also bought all the materials directly so they belonged to us and not the builder.

I had similar on a smaller project where I paid for materials upfront and weekly for labour. He did finally say he couldn't finish it or give me my money back because he didn't have it any more.

I registered it on Action Fraud and reported to my bank as fraud - had paid by bank transfer. Bank tried to reclaim from his account but it was empty, they repaid 80% from their fraud fund. I could go to small claims for the rest but if he doesn't have it I don't see the point.

This was a reputable guy who has done work for me several times over the years.

You won't find a sole trader on companies house. I'm really sorry this has happened to you. I never employ any tradesperson unless recommended by someone I trust. NEVER. It's worth waiting for a good one. And no tradesperson worth their salt wants all the money up front. I'm happy to pay a percentage up front but only pay the bulk after the work is done (and after any compliance/guarantee paperwork has been provided).

Give them a call to set up next steps. There is a very bad flu strain going around and it’s possible he has it . It’s also possible that combined with the awful weather it’s just not possible to complete right now.

In the future never pay up front for work. Set up completion milestone payments and expect to pay for materials up front.

The financial ombudsman.

If he has a landline you could check out 192 online if you know approximately where he lives

Even if he doesn’t have a landline now there’s a chance he hasn’t moved house and old details are still available

As someone who works in fraud, the quicker you can report this to your bank the more chance you will have of getting money back (unless you paid in physical cash) . You also need to report this to the police. Police won't do much with just one report but if people keep reporting him each time it happens they will be able to build up a case against him. This classes as a Rogue Trader scam.

WTF? No.

Could this be (very expensive) karma for having plastic grass? 🤣

I can't believe you handed over 8 thousand pounds before any work had been carried out. I fear this is going to be a very expensive lesson OP.

However you found him surely means anyone can find him the same way. Can’t you get someone to arrange a building job then you turn up. Set up some kind of hidden camera to get him on film admitting he has your money?
Get his number plate or get someone to be outside when he leaves and follow him? Or have I been watching too much tv .
I feel for you. My scumbag BiL did this a few times. He even did it to family members. He did end up in court eventually but got a suspended sentence. We went no contact a long time ago but I could imagine he still does this kind of thing and there are so many like him.

I am so sorry you're going through this.

I paid upfront for a new bathroom to be fitted. I was told to move out for five days because there would be no toilet and so on, and it would be finished, so I did. That was October. It wasn't finished.

The guy bobbed in and out until the beginning of January when I told him to take his tools and fuck off. Now I've had to pay for someone else but he sends an invoice, no money up front.

The same happened to us and the builder didn’t come back. We had to issue a small claim against him which you can do online and isn’t too difficult. But obviously exhaust all avenues before that - give him a final chance to return and complete the work or refund you etc

So it's the customers fault when tradespeople let you down then

No, not their fault but indicative of problems and a red flag.

People need to be aware that reputable builders may ask for a deposit or a payment plan weekly but rarely need it for materials due to trade accounts.

Op, what materials are onsite? There is a chance you can get this done by someone else if it's just grouting, small fence and laying grass. Going forwards ONLY use recommendations that you have spoken to.