Builder won't remove scaffolding

[Mark Hodgkinson]

Hello,

An elderly relative had some storm damage to the roof and contacted a firm to fix the issue. They quoted £1k, turned up and then said they found the roof was rotten and needs 14k of extra work. No written quote was provided for the additional work and the builder was pressuring the relative to go ahead straight away. He shouted at my sister when she rang to tell him we had all agreed the relative would get 3 additional opinions and quotes before deciding on any additional work. We asked him to complete the original quoted work (which they did) and to remove the scaffolding. The relative paid the original quoted bill in full. He is now refusing to remove the scaffolding and instead has been ringing the relative to try and talk them into going ahead with further work.

What can we do at this point, given we have been clear we don't want to use them for further work at this time and asked several times for the scaffolding to be removed? We are worried no other firm will quote once they see the scaffolding and think we may be in a dispute with the original roofer.

Thanks,

 

[RandomGrinch]

Scaffolding is often provided by a separate scaffolding firm.
Are there any markings/scaff tags on it, that show who it belongs to?
If so you could contact them directly to have it removed.
Apart from that, contact trading standards and/or citizens advice.

 

[DAZB]

You would have a case talking to the police as they do take the pressure selling of elderly people far more serious than they used to.

 

[foxhole]

Hello,

An elderly relative had some storm damage to the roof and contacted a firm to fix the issue. They quoted £1k, turned up and then said they found the roof was rotten and needs 14k of extra work. No written quote was provided for the additional work and the builder was pressuring the relative to go ahead straight away. He shouted at my sister when she rang to tell him we had all agreed the relative would get 3 additional opinions and quotes before deciding on any additional work. We asked him to complete the original quoted work (which they did) and to remove the scaffolding. The relative paid the original quoted bill in full. He is now refusing to remove the scaffolding and instead has been ringing the relative to try and talk them into going ahead with further work.

What can we do at this point, given we have been clear we don't want to use them for further work at this time and asked several times for the scaffolding to be removed? We are worried no other firm will quote once they see the scaffolding and think we may be in a dispute with the original roofer.

Thanks,

Give them a call and tell them a scrap dealer is taking the scaffold at the end of the week if not removed .

 

[opps]

Tell them that if it isn't removed within, for example, 2 weeks, you will charge them rent.

Edit, oh and you could tell then that you will post their trading name on this site.

 

[conny]

I would give them one week to remove the scaffolding, in the meantime tell the police what is happening and what you have requested to builder to do by the end of the week. Keep notes or recordings of any calls, but better still, only communicate by text/email so you have written evidence.
If nothing happens within that week, i.e. the scaffold remains, notify trading standards and try to contact the scaffing company to come and remove it. Then go back to the police and ask if they can intervene, especially over the hard pressure selling business.
Stay calm, stand your ground and don't give them any more money. They may say there is a charge to remove the scaffolding. Just say sorry, your bill has been paid in full and there is no outstanding debt. If they think there is, let them take you to court for it. (They won't because it will be expensive for them and damaging for their reputation).

 

[Harry Bloomfield]

(They won't because it will be expensive for them and damaging for their reputation).

If they in fact have any reputation to be damaged - it seems unlikely.

I would I also suggest having someone responsible check the repairs have been done properly, and check out 'the rotten roof'.

If you can do that, post photos of the outside, and perhaps from the inside of the loft, any areas of concern.

 

[opps]

I would give them one week to remove the scaffolding, in the meantime tell the police what is happening and what you have requested to builder to do by the end of the week. Keep notes or recordings of any calls, but better still, only communicate by text/email so you have written evidence.
If nothing happens within that week, i.e. the scaffold remains, notify trading standards and try to contact the scaffing company to come and remove it. Then go back to the police and ask if they can intervene, especially over the hard pressure selling business.
Stay calm, stand your ground and don't give them any more money. They may say there is a charge to remove the scaffolding. Just say sorry, your bill has been paid in full and there is no outstanding debt. If they think there is, let them take you to court for it. (They won't because it will be expensive for them and damaging for their reputation).

They have no legal grounds for charging to remove the scaffolding.

£1k for a job, with scaffolding included sounds very cheap. A single lift for scaffolding, the cheapest company that I use would charge about £350 for a guttering level lift.

 

[Mark Hodgkinson]

If they in fact have any reputation to be damaged - it seems unlikely.

I would I also suggest having someone responsible check the repairs have been done properly, and check out 'the rotten roof'.

If you can do that, post photos of the outside, and perhaps from the inside of the loft, any areas of concern.

Yes other firms will be contacted to advise if something else needs doing and to give quotes for the work. I think you are right that we should ask them to verify the existing fix has been done properly.

 

[Notch7]

Hello,

An elderly relative had some storm damage to the roof and contacted a firm to fix the issue. They quoted £1k, turned up and then said they found the roof was rotten and needs 14k of extra work. No written quote was provided for the additional work and the builder was pressuring the relative to go ahead straight away. He shouted at my sister when she rang to tell him we had all agreed the relative would get 3 additional opinions and quotes before deciding on any additional work. We asked him to complete the original quoted work (which they did) and to remove the scaffolding. The relative paid the original quoted bill in full. He is now refusing to remove the scaffolding and instead has been ringing the relative to try and talk them into going ahead with further work.

What can we do at this point, given we have been clear we don't want to use them for further work at this time and asked several times for the scaffolding to be removed? We are worried no other firm will quote once they see the scaffolding and think we may be in a dispute with the original roofer.

Thanks,

Was the company found through an online site - checkatrade / rated people etc?


Any local established business would be too busy to be needing or want to create extra work….so I’d guess it’s a scam. If it was genuine they would have stripped back roof, taken pictures etc and discussed it first before quoting.

have you looked at the roof? - when they say “rotten” - that can only be tile battens or roof structure like rafters or wall plate…it Should be possible to see it from the loft.



If they’ve already done repairs, I wouldn’t trust them to have done it properly - I’m betting there are now broken tiles from being stood on.

 

[Mark Hodgkinson]

Was the company found through an online site - checkatrade / rated people etc?


Any local established business would be too busy to be needing or want to create extra work….so I’d guess it’s a scam. If it was genuine they would have stripped back roof, taken pictures etc and discussed it first before quoting.

have you looked at the roof? - when they say “rotten” - that can only be tile battens or roof structure like rafters or wall plate…it Should be possible to see it from the loft.



If they’ve already done repairs, I wouldn’t trust them to have done it properly - I’m betting there are now broken tiles from being stood on.

It was found through a google search (not by me) (unfortunately further research on my part found several negative reviews on various sites - including one similar sounding case of refusing to remove scaffolding to try and force client to accept very expensive additional work). Too late now, but at least it's caught in time before said relative shelled out really huge money to them.

The rotten part mentioned was battens, elderly relative cannot get into loft and we don't live nearby. Am expecting people who quote would go into loft and take a look and advise whether they agree they are rotten. Relative is asking friends for names of firms they have used and have also asked for names of firms in local Facebook group.

 

[johnny2007]

If you can find the scaffolding company, give them a call and tell them they can remove it.
If you can't find the scaffolding company, give the cowboys 2 weeks notice in writing and tell them you will be disposing of the scaffolding.
If they don't remove it, post on social media a free scaffolding and it will be gone in an hour.

 

[blup]

Get more quotes while the scaff is still up, you may be able to establish that the price for further works is either excessive or that the works are unnecessary. Contact local trading standards and make clear this is elder abuse/fraud. They should come out, and even if it goes no further, the scaff will be removed.

Blup

 

[opps]

If you can find the scaffolding company, give them a call and tell them they can remove it.
If you can't find the scaffolding company, give the cowboys 2 weeks notice in writing and tell them you will be disposing of the scaffolding.
If they don't remove it, post on social media a free scaffolding and it will be gone in an hour.

If the scaffolding has been hired, the OP's relative cannot offer it to anyone else.

 

[opps]

Get more quotes while the scaff is still up, you may be able to establish that the price for further works is either excessive or that the works are unnecessary. Contact local trading standards and make clear this is elder abuse/fraud. They should come out, and even if it goes no further, the scaff will be removed.

Blup

I agree with contacting trading standards, but they aren't going to turn up. Gone are the days when you could call the trading standards dept in your local council. They are no longer fit for purpose (in my opinion).

The two remaining consumer protection bodies that, again, in my opinion, that are fit for purpose are the ASA and ICO. I have been impressed by both, trading standards less so.

The last time I contacted trading standards was about saw blades sold on ebay for angle grinders. I explained that they are not legal. Days later I sent them a ruling from a different trading standards department, dated a couple of years earlier. I never received a reply.