I posted another thread a couple of weeks back re sentencing and if the punishment fitted the crime. Regardless of their background/heritage, the SCUM that prey on people when it comes to carrying out works and then charging ridiculously high sums for their 'services' should be locked up for years. When I read stories of a (usually old and vulnerable) person being charged e.g. £10k for the replacement of 3 roof tiles, often with the victim being 'helpfully' taken to the bank by the criminals, it makes my blood boil. There can be absolutely no justification from the criminals perspective.
On a much lesser scale, years back I had a knock at my door, couple of 'gentlemen' saying they'd finished a upvc roof cladding job and had some fascia and soffit board left over and did I want it fitted at a greatly reduced price. My bullsh1t detector started going off big time. I politely declined. Woman a couple of doors up took them up on the offer. They (poorly) installed what they had on the van (just a few lengths) said they'd return the next day with more material to complete the job but would need paid there and then so they could buy the additional supplies. Woman paid them, did they return the next day? I'll leave you to guess. She was left with around half her roof done if that. And because these people are often transient with unmarked vehicles, chances of any comeback against them are minimal.
On a more positive note and to answer the OPs question, we used to have our gas heating and plumbing on a British Gas service plan. We were always happy with the speed with which they sent an engineer out and, most of the time, the quality of the work. Bar the time the bath waste was leaking and the engineers 'solution' was to pump 1/2 a tube of silicon around it!
On a much lesser scale, years back I had a knock at my door, couple of 'gentlemen' saying they'd finished a upvc roof cladding job and had some fascia and soffit board left over and did I want it fitted at a greatly reduced price. My bullsh1t detector started going off big time. I politely declined. Woman a couple of doors up took them up on the offer. They (poorly) installed what they had on the van (just a few lengths) said they'd return the next day with more material to complete the job but would need paid there and then so they could buy the additional supplies. Woman paid them, did they return the next day? I'll leave you to guess. She was left with around half her roof done if that. And because these people are often transient with unmarked vehicles, chances of any comeback against them are minimal.
On a more positive note and to answer the OPs question, we used to have our gas heating and plumbing on a British Gas service plan. We were always happy with the speed with which they sent an engineer out and, most of the time, the quality of the work. Bar the time the bath waste was leaking and the engineers 'solution' was to pump 1/2 a tube of silicon around it!
we were burgled by some of these people a while back, i went out of my way to corelate some HQ cctv evidence i had into a very precise detail of the offenders car which eventually led to a prosecution, was still so surprised how long it took and how much evidence they needed, despite the police initially searching a caravan and finding my office TV there all boxed up as it left my office captured on camera. And they wonder why they are not welcome near to civilised people.
