Thieving Scoundrels...

Recently took on a sub contractor, I supplied all the materials to the site. I told him quite clearly what work he had to do. He took it upon himself to throw away a radiator that did not need to be replaced, scrap man picked it up so I bore the cost of replacing it @ £80, no copper fittings were left after the job was reportedly finished even though more than were needed for the job were supplied. A wireless room thermostat / programmer was supplied / delivered and not fitted and is now missing @ £120. Flooring was not cut but just ripped up and splintered, which I now have to replace as well as carpet underlay and grippers. I have asked the sub contractor to return to the job later today to rectify the house owners complaints. He refuses until he's been paid. I do my utmost to use British labour, but it's becoming too high risk..

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Oh dear, moved you over to the rants forum So hows your East European new recruit shaping up?

Wished you covered Warwickshire, looks like our boiler is in need of TLC and a mysterious damp patch has appeared underneath it in the kitchen... ho hum.. no doubt we will be fleeced

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Spent all day yesterday trying to get hold of this sub contractor, he never responded to either text or calls. Not only that he's run off with the customers house keys. As much as it goes against the grain there is a lot to be said for eastern european workers.

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I think it is a character trait rather than a where you are from issue.

Just for balance I went to see a lady who was in a wheelchair broken her back some years ago, builders came in took down some partitions to make doorways bigger etc and ask for some money up front to go and get lots of materials and never came back.

Left her flat in bits and out of pocket by hundreds of £'s.

They builders where not English.

Just to be clear in these PC times I am not saying anything about the use of European labour or British labour merely pointing out that if you have no moral fibre does not matter where you are from.

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Such a shame that it seems so difficult to get people to do the job they are supposed to sometimes.

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You've been treated dreadfully, Barney, I'm so sorry.

Suggestions which may help you avoid this situation ever happening again:-

Do you check references (including customer references) on the sub-contractor? For info, when I want work done on my house I ask to be put in touch with 3 recent customers and cross-question them briefly on all the points that matter to me.

Do you already take sub contractors' landline number ("it's free if I ring the landline, otherwise it costs") and address ("so I can send you anything I need to") before you reach any agreement with them?

You can then check their entry in the phone directory (shows whether they've lived there long enough to appear in it - fly by nights may not have much to lose) and ring them up without prior notice (gives you a feel for their situation and establishes they really do live full-time where they say they do).

Is the sub-contractor a member of any trade association and so subject to any of its penalties for misbehavior?

Good luck, hope you're able to make good the losses this sub-contractor has caused. Linda

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Well, he did eventually return and was given every chance to put things right, unfortunately he busted the customers bed, which was specialy imported from the USA. So matters got worse and the customer refused to have him back in their property. The sub-contractor was due around £1200 but as a good will gesture I paid him £84.00 less tax which didn't gone down to well but hey you live and learn. The funny thing is, the customer has now sold the house and moved to another area and has asked me for another quote

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