Carers UK Forum

It's a long story that honestly I feel frustrated to go into in detail So long story short, door to door decorators/builders came, did an awful job at decorating (didn't cut in, didn't do a second coat, clearly left the job unfinished), said they'd be by on Saturday to finish the job after my mum paid the balance at their insistence, and then they never came back. We've had no contact since Saturday afternoon when he claimed he was 'stuck in traffic and would be an hour' and then never showed up.

The work itself we've accepted I need to finish myself/get somebody else to do, we don't want them to come back to finish. But they've left their advertising board in the front garden, along with all the rubbish and offcuts. I can take the rubbish and offcuts down the dump with no problem, but I don't know where we stand in throwing their board out. What's the reasonable amount of time we can leave it before we throw it out? It's a wooden pallet with a sign glued onto it, but I'm worried about legal recourse if we just throw it out. (Yes they're the ones in the wrong, but my mum is the person I care for, and we both have anxiety, and can't handle the stress of small claims court)

They haven't been answering the phone, we've called and also left text messages to both numbers with no answer.

Hi,
How frustrating. I know it's easy in retrospect, but don't go with door to door decorators/builders/gardeners etc again. Next time, use someone on personal recommendation and if you aren't able to find someone that way, I believe Age Concern have a list of trusted traders that they recommend.

Re the advertising sign:
You could text them to say if they want their sign back, you'd like your money back please as they haven't finished the job and you aren't satisfied with the standard of work.

Or you could text them and say they have until the end of the day to collect the sign, otherwise you will dump it.

Melly1

Never, never, never, but NEVER, give any work at all to a stranger at your door.
That applies to phone calls and letters through the letter box too.

In future get three quotes from reputable people and take it from there, My Builder website has people on there that are vetted, registered and have feedback.So you have less chance of getting ripped off.
Sorry you got ripped off,thats why I do most jobs myself now.
With the sign I'd just dump it and refuse to answer the door/calls etc. Its not your problem.

Why not get Trading Standards involved, after all if you have their board you have all their details. Or take a photo of the board and then dump it, as the board is "trespassing". Take a photo of all the shoddy workmanship.
Have you looked at your insurance policies to see if you have "Legal Expenses Insurance".
Don't get mad or get upset, get even. If you have this insurance it won't cost you a penny to go after these cowboys!

If it was me I would leave their name clearly visible on the sign and add my own poster underneath saying “Avoid these people! they don’t finish the work and they leave a mess.” However, thats just me and I understand you both have anxiety or further aggravation.

I agree about Trading Standards though. I complained to them a few years ago when my Mum was ripped off by some dodgy cowboys and was so glad I did because there were so many complaints that they took them to court and they were JAILED!!