Sorry we have had to change to site around a little bit over the past week, but we have had to deal with some rogue customer pest control. There are rogue customers out there who do not like the idea of this site and have attempted to, albeit anonymously, hinder our progress. It will take more than that to shut us up!

It would appear that the laws to protect the trade are some what clearer within other Commonwealth Countrys, i.e. Canada. So why not in the UK where the head of the Commonwealth resides?

 

Click on the link below!

 

or

Dear Sirs,

 

Firstly, I'd like to say well done for making a stand in this way. As you will see from my stories from 15 years of trading, something has to be done to eliminate the problems of late/non-payment. From starting with nothing, working from the boot of my car, I built my business up through reputation, to employing 15 people. From doing small jobs like making cupboards, I was starting to get contracts for new builds and commercial work.

 

I have become highly disillusioned with the building industry over the past few years. In my experience, the worst payers are the ones who are in business themselves. There must be a 'property developer's manual' which gives advice on how to get away without paying the full price. I have learnt a lot over these 15 years.

 

In the old days, a customer might ask you to do some minor extra work 'while you've got your tools out'. If it was a five minute job you might not charge anything, the customer would be happy, pay on the dot and recommend you to their friends. It now seems that, on the larger jobs anyway, people expect you do things for nothing.

 

We are trying to make a living, pay our bills and feed our families like everyone else.

 

Here are the stories which have contributed to me having to remortgage my house a further 10 years, suffer stress related illness, reduce the size of my once thriving business and salvage my marriage:

 

1. At the end of a house refurbishment which involved four hours travelling a day, the customer would find a new defect every time  I requested the final payment. To attend to the defect (on two occasions this was a scuff in the paintwork which could have occurred after the job was finished) it involved a days work. After the eighth journey we were told by the wife, that the light fittings were the wrong ones, even though the husband told us which ones to use. To change them would  have involved more work and making good. We were now working elsewhere and getting nowhere with this payment. I decided to write it off. LOSS £2000
2.  A first-time developer ran out of money at the end of a new-build project. LOSS £6000plus £15,000 retention money. Project was finished two years later by others.
3. A customer took over a year to pay a £20,000 final payment. He would request a detailed price breakdown showing labor and materials costs every time I requested payment. He was entitled to do this under the contract but used it to his advantage. LOSS interest on £20,000 over a year.
4. A customer requested some remedial work to be done in order for her to sell her house. The work was carried out promptly and invoiced. Two cheques bounced then we were told that her house sale had fallen through and that she couldn't pay until it was sold. We eventually got paid seven months later. LOSS interest on £4000 for seven months.
5. We carried out work for a commercial client. They requested additional work after we had started the work. Denied work had been requested and said that they would pay no more than what was quoted. We lost in court - nothing in writing, even though additional work had obviously been done. Currently appealing. LOSS £20,000
6. Customer didn't pay amount certified by his own architect. Pursued through a debt collection agency. A year later (after a court summons) defects were 'discovered' amounting to the same as our claim (surprise, surprise). Court case pending. Potential LOSS £18,000 plus costs.
7. Property developer wanted several properties refurbished. After completing the first one the customer said he was refinancing and couldn't pay for a while. I told him that I may have to pull off site if no payment forthcoming. I paid my workers with money from another job but had to lay them off until the customer had paid. I returned to the job to collect my payment only to find my workers employed directly by the customer on the next phase of the job. LOSS Half my income

 

Now, am I just naive? Doing something wrong? Or is it just bad luck? Now that I have written this down it seems almost unbelievable. Most people say why don't you just 'send the boys around'. Apart from the legal implications I don't think it's the answer.

 

If your organisation can go some way towards changing the law so that builders get a better deal then I fully support you.

 

Thanks for speaking out I think you,re brave .I run a successfull kitchen & bathroom fitting service with one employee & was ripped off by a customer in court last year , they fabricated various problems with the installation of their bathroom fit , they paid cash which I think they planned so I had no evidence of payment terms as per my invoice details which they said they never receieved .As per the rogeue traders program which I presume the judge must be an avid veiwer he threw the book at me even though I was represented & had various letters from previous clients about the good quality of my workmanship. I,m still paying it off & ended up in hospital 2 weeks later with suspected heart attack which when I explained the doctor said stress related to the case, because beleive it or not some, of us still take pride in our work and its not always about the money, but the look on a clients face when they are so pleased with the work you,ve done. Tell me if I'm old fashioned but isnt that why we do it , just thank god most people are decent, but it only takes one to ruin your life. please contact me for any support I can give you or any support you can give me.