Where do I stand?.......

Philipa2008 · 30 Mar 2008

I got a dodgy firm in to do some work for me in the garden.
Cut some trees back. Put up some fencing (10 panels) and lay a patio.

They quoted me £450 trees, £650 Patio and £1000 fencing, all 'cash'.

I paid them £1000 up front.

They have done the fencing, and all is well.

They have cut the trees back half satisfactorily, but have left lots of mess I would like them to clear up.

The patio, he finished on Friday and there are lots of loose slabs. (9).
I phoned himand said I wanted it sorting out, and he said its because I walked on it before the 24hr curing period.
Now, half the patio had been down for 2 weeks it was only the 'grouting' (for want of better word) that was finished on Friday.

I am now into week 4.

I am not ahppy with the patio, there is still a hippo bag full of debris in my front lawn, and tyhey ahve left tools everywhere.

I just want shut of them, off my land and out of my hair.

I still in theory owe them £1100.

Any ideas on the way ahead?

I have tried to phone him, but h wont take my calls as I noirmally end up shouting at him!

breezer · 30 Mar 2008

shouting does no good.

i am sorry to say but i think you will have to chalk this one up to experiance, never pay cash up front, and if they knock on your door (we had some one yesterday) Mrs Breezer had to ask me, do we want our trees cutting back, i later pointed out if we had wanted a job doing we would have called them, never accept anyone knocking on your door. If they are even vaguely reputable they will let you see previous work / customers or be known as good people, when they asked for cash in the first place you should have told them you changed your mind.

You have entered a legal (verbal) contract so you still owe them money. How ever their part of the contract is not finished as it should be = stale mate.

I suggest you keep their tools (dont sell them) senda txt if they will not accept calls saying if they dont collect the tools within say 14 days you will sell them, but to be sure get legal advice.

Philipa2008 · 30 Mar 2008

No I got them off internet, and seemed ok at the early stages.

I think they have taken on more work than they can ahndle and that is why they have taken so long.

Im not paying them another penny until Im hapy with everything.

Was hoping to part pay em off, just to get them out of my hair

breezer · 30 Mar 2008

cash up front with no other info would have said something, taking on too much work is no excuse, a job should always be done properly, that said some jobs do take some time to do propelry, referal for my fence was from a mate, they took over 2 months to do his garden, but wait, they started then left it for 6 weeks to settle down, they leveled a big slope he had, hence the settling time, fantastic job it is, isaw it 6 months after it was finsihed, but yours was ony a patio, even on ground force they walk on Tommys hard work the next day.

lift a slab and see whats there, better still post a few pics

Philipa2008 · 30 Mar 2008

The grouting seems to be very sandy and dry.

I had a patio done in the back garden 3 years ago (but cant rem who I had done it) and the grouting was very wet, like cement.
This is like semi wet sand.

Ive just been out to the patio, and some of the loose slabs seem to be settled, but it still looks poo as all the geouting is cracked where they once wobbled!

I cant imagine it lasting long.

I will take some pics. I dont fancy lifting any slabs though to be honest

Philipa2008 · 30 Mar 2008

WabbitPoo · 30 Mar 2008

Shockingly bad patio, that. Sorry for your woes. Name and shame!

Philipa2008 · 30 Mar 2008

WabbitPoo said:
Shockingly bad patio, that. Sorry for your woes. Name and shame!

Is it THAT bad?

I was only fed up cause some of the slabs wobbled

Diyisfun · 30 Mar 2008

If you have only paid £1k then thats materials dont pay the rest till u r happy

Philipa2008 · 30 Mar 2008

Diyisfun said:
If you have only paid £1k then thats materials dont pay the rest till u r happy

That is my idea

WabbitPoo · 30 Mar 2008

Was it they who splashed cement on the new fence?

You don't think the slabs should be less wonky?

Philipa2008 · 30 Mar 2008

TBH I know its a rubbish job, but I want it resolving.

My initial post was to ask can I just tell them to bugger off, and get someone else in to do it again, or will I still have to pay for this mess?

breezer · 30 Mar 2008

sorry but as i said you need legal advice, you could try writing to them.
Oh did you know hippo bags cost not a lot, but you have to pay the collection driver a lot to take it away

Philipa2008 · 30 Mar 2008

breezer said:
sorry but as i said you need legal advice, you could try writing to them.
Oh did you know hippo bags cost not a lot, but you have to pay the collection driver a lot to take it away

I wont be paying anything cause I never ordered it!

Thermo · 30 Mar 2008

i think me and wabbitpoo could be here all day picking out the faults in that work. If you want a list post some pics of the whole lot, but as well as the patio, the fence is a shambles as well and looks like well over the top in terms of pricing.

do not pay another penny to them. speak to trading standards or the CAB

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Where do I stand?.......

breezer

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