Please help - dodgy builder advice

Hi guys,
Can anyone help with some advice please?
I live on my own. I accepted a builders quote on some work I wanted done.. knocking an interior wall down to make 2 rooms open plan and to have the walls skimmed (his suggestion, he said it would look beautiful. And to have a gas fire taken out and plaster board the box area where the fire was. Original quote £2,100.
Nearly 4 weeks later, house still looks like a builders yard, price gone up almost another £2k, he said original price didn’t include skip, moving of wall switch or filling in the gap left in the floor where the wall was. He’s removed some old pipes, bending a good pipe in the process, which is now leaking. He’s plasterboarded in front of it, hoping I wouldn’t remember. He’s also charged me £240 to fix a leak in my shower trap above, which he’s basically siliconed the hair catcher in the plug, presuming that’s solved it which it hasn’t. He’s charged me an extra £1k to fix the leaks in my 2 chimneys. But as I can’t get up there, I’ve no idea that what he said he’s done, he’s actually done. He’s charmed me out of £4,200 so far, which I’ve stupidly paid, but felt pressured to do so. (He put a pic up on fb of his new 4x4 truck that night).
I feel physically sick, and just do not know what to do. Can anyone give me advice on who I can contact please for support?
He even said to me yesterday that because my house was old the work won’t look perfect unless I pay more. I’ve told him, I’ve no money left as I’d borrowed the money from my daughters, which will take me 3 years to pay back. Total price so far is just shy of £5k. I still owe £770.

Seems a bit like this https://www.diynot.com/diy/threads/builder-asking-for-more-second-time-around.537521/#post-4536973

He's conning you. Contact your council's Consumer Protection team (aka Trading Standards)

Or instruct a surveyor to report on the work and commercial costs. Consider taking him to court based on various contract issues. You may have legal assistance cover from you home insurance.

The thing is to don't pay any more money until you have sorted something out.

Thanks woody.
Would you advice me to ask him to stop work for now, and tell him I’m seeking advice?
Or just let him carry on?

frank? Is that you?


frank?

I’ve just replied on Frank’s thread above. Exactly the same situation. Has you over a barrel.

ask yourself this question. Has this builder done any work before? I’m not a builder but if I was quoting for this simple job I would assume the job entailed not leaving a big pile of crap on the front lawn and that the homeowner would rather not have a hole in the floor where the wall once stood. A big con.

this is going to be awkward. Level with him and say this work needs to be completed pronto, bits he’s done that need rectifying need sorting first eg £240 silicon job on the shower trap, leaking pipes and you’ll get your money once it’s done.

up to you at the end whether you pay him or not if he’s already taken you for a ride. He won’t go to small claims for that.

oh and to say you need to pay more for a good job is ridiculous. There is only one level someone should be working to..... a good job.

Thank you pilsbury

Realise that there are a55holes in this world. Bet his jobs all deal with people on their own, little old ladies etc. Imagine him pulling this sh1t with Mike Tyson.

deep breaths and toughen up!

Afraid he's conning you

Have a few people there with you when you confront him , tell him you've contacted trading standards and building control , tell him he's not getting another penny until he's finished the work you've already paid for , then don't pay him anyway

I would also be getting the opinion of another builder as to the quality of his work then taking him to the small claims court to recover some of your money , he clearly has assets after all

And name and shame him on every social media platform you can think of , consider contacting the papers to make people aware of him , at the very least you might prevent him ripping someone else off

You could also simply tell him to leave your house immediately and complete the rest of the work yourself with a few mates , assuming the majority of the work has been done

Any chance of some pics so the good guys on here can advise you on the work currently completed?

Sonny7 said:

Thanks woody.
Would you advice me to ask him to stop work for now, and tell him I’m seeking advice?
Or just let him carry on?

Click to expand...

Don't pay another penny until you sort something out. The longer it goes on the more money he hopes to fleece out of you.

But, you need to have a strategy or idea of what you intend to achieve. Are you prepared to take legal action? Are you prepared to instruct a professional report? Are you going to instruct another builder and counter-charge the first builder?
Or are you just going to have a moan and then just get the builder to carry on and finish? You need to decide how far you are prepared to go to enforce your rights.

Thanks Woody.
I’ve already instructed another builder to come and look at the work.
I’ve also told his 2 lads I’m seeking advice from CAB & Trading standards. His lads have told me not to tell him this till he’s completed the work and they’ve even told me not to pay another penny until I’m 100% happy with the results.
They said they don’t care, they have no loyalty towards him as they think he’s been abit naughty and agree I’ve been conned. One of the lads, the plasterer, went through the quote and told me he has charged me twice for the same thing, but just worded it differently. He told me to knock it off the outstanding amount, so that’s £380 saved.

Thank you all, and my daughter for giving me the courage to be strong. It’s not easy being on your own and I hate confrontation. I’m such a trusting person, I’m obviously very naive. I really thought this guy was genuine. Oh well, lessons learnt, just hope he doesn’t rip of anyone else off..... the bas***d!!!

Social media is your friend ......

As long as he does not also visit diynot...

Con man, cowboy, bastard - definitely. You won't get anywhere with him on your own because he is a bully.
Far be it from me to act as a spokesperson for woody but the following are things you should consider :-

^woody^ said:

Are you prepared to take legal action? Are you prepared to instruct a professional report? Are you going to instruct another builder and counter-charge the first builder?

Click to expand...

- before the cowboy rides off into the sunset never to be seen again.