Builders==conmen.
Called a builder who had posted a leaflet through my door and arranged for (perfectly reputable national company) to re-pave an area behind my house.
They asked for half the money before even finishing the job, made an utter cock up of it and then got very suggestive about how they'd heard terrible things about how the local gypsies would find a house that had recent building work done and come to steal the bricks...

So I called (perfectly reputable national company) to complain about the shambles their team had made, they sighed and said I was the Nth person to call that week after a dodgy Irish scam merchant had gone around the area with re-printed copies of their leaflets, inserting his own phone number instead of theirs...
They weren't even interested in quoting for the repairs needed as the bloke invariably did such a bad job that even being seen repairing it reflected badly on them.

But that's not the waste of money, since I'd paid them very little of the price they'd asked for.
The waste of money comes in hiring a lawyer to persue the dodgy scam merchant and discovering that since he'd given a false name, false address, paid for his mobile phone with cash, drove a stolen van, and had an illegible siginature, I could provide no "proof" that would stand in court that he'd ever been near my place.
All he had to do was stand there, lie about persons unknown slandering his good name by printing bogus leaflets with his phone number on and walk away from the whole mess.

Three grand's worth of lesson that can be summed up as:-
"Criminals can safely ignore the law, because the law values the tansparent lies of knaves equal to the word of honest men."
( DukeEuphoria Comes highly reccomended, Thu 30 Sep 2010, 18:23, 8 replies)

Nearly fell for that myself once
when I needed my large front garden turned into a double drive.

Got a 'builder' in, who sent over a couple of what looked like illegal immigrants* to dig it out. They worked like slaves for two days until it was all nice and flat, and then disappeared. As I hadn't paid up at that point it all seemed kosher.

After that, for a week I heard nothing from the 'builder', despite several phone calls. I smelt a rat, got advice from Trading Standards and when the 'builder' re-appeared I told him to get off my property and never come back.

There were 2 additional crucial factors on my side -
1. They had a website which we were able to track down to a short-rent office in the east midlands
b. I'd been proudly photographing every stage of the preceedings, including vehicle numberplates, so had plenty of mugshots available if I'd needed them.

He tried a few times to intimidate me but I threatened him with the police and he eventually got the message.

His final words were 'that means YOU'VE conned ME!' which I think says it all.

Mr Quar was bricking it but we've never had any trouble from them in the 6 years or more since.


*Didn't speak English, seemed very sheepish, unable to tell me whether they wanted sugar in their tea, etc.
(Juan Quar is clinging to her front teeth on, Thu 30 Sep 2010, 18:46, closed)

Didn't know whether they wanted sugar in their tea?
Heathens.

call the Daily fail immediately.
( Snappyuk gets BIGGER with free sample., Thu 30 Sep 2010, 20:23, closed)

Yes
all builders are conmen.
You bellend.
( wotofco pissing in your swimming pool, Thu 30 Sep 2010, 18:53, closed)

Nope, I've had very good work done by proper professional builders.
This one was a well-known cowboy. The local Trading Standards people knew all about him but as most customers daren't tell him where to get off, he usually gets away with it.
(Juan Quar is clinging to her front teeth on, Thu 30 Sep 2010, 20:10, closed)

Yes.
I assert that all builders are conmen. Find me one that will

a) turn up to do the work.
b) work to the plan provided rather than whatever seems like a good idea at the time.
c) not demand money for work not done
d) not lie about work not done
e) maintain an actual postal address in the UK
f) not be wanted by the polish authorities for theft and credit card fraud
g) employ labourers legally allowed to work in the UK.
h) actually finish the job.
i) not piss off "on holiday" for six weeks in the middle of a job.
j) bring the job in at less than 150% of the quoted price
k) make good when charging for making good.
l) not attempt to dispose of rubble, cement, and toxic chemicals by tipping them into my pond.
m) supply the fittings paid for rather than providing cheap knock offs and pocketing the difference.

etc etc...

Do that and I'll buy you a pint.
( DukeEuphoria Comes highly reccomended, Fri 1 Oct 2010, 12:29, closed)

The roofers who did my parents' roof
Worked like slaves, hardly stopping for a break. They were all over the roof like ants, I think the whole roof was retiled in a day. The good ones ARE out there.
( eXOBeX, Sun 3 Oct 2010, 14:27, closed)

Sadly I suspect you have yourself to blame for dealing with a national company via a mobile phone number!
( Alex Save a Tree, Eat a Beaver!, Sat 2 Oct 2010, 22:58, closed)

By the sounds of it, you had no proof. So the law has to set him free, surely. That is better than someone's self-defined "honest" word, against the other guy's "knaveish lies" getting innocent people imprisoned.
(shanterbabs, Sun 3 Oct 2010, 4:33, closed)