Being messed around, when to say enough is enough?
Discussion
Hi all,
I wondered if poeple might give me an opinion on a situation I find myself in.
Suppose you are building a project car, you have done everything you can yourself (over around 3 years) and it now comes to the last few bits which you decide to place with a recommended specialist.
The specialist gives you a quote and a time frame to complete the work. You accept the offer and deliver the car on the specified date, bang on time.
The specialist says your project is booked in for 2 weeks solid work, and at the end of that 2 weeks the car will be ready for collection and running - fantastic you think to yourself (after 3 years, this is the last part and you will finally see you dream machine running).
Family holiday booked, you jet off happy and content that your car will be ready for collection on return.
Then the excuses start, “didn’t have all the parts I needed”, “supplier didn’t deliver”, “my assistant has been off work”... and on and on...
You pop in on occasion, just to satisfy yourself that the car is still in one piece and actually at the premises, and you’re relieved to see it is, and progress has been made, the work done looking to be of good standard too...
Over this same period the specialist becomes less and less responsive to communication, he refuses to give out mobile number, which I kind of understand as it’s his personal phone I suppose, but he vary rarely ever answers land line, stops responding on Facebook chat and never replies to email... I’m now forced to communicate him through a mutual contact.
And it continues... 6 months have passed, at what point do I just say enough is enough? Is it reasonable to let him carry on, bearing in mind he must have put 100+ hours into it at this point... where should I be on payment? The job is not complete so I wouldn’t be willing to pay the full amount... at the same time, I’m now starting to wonder if he actually has the skills required to deliver.. he might be “stuck”?
What are people’s thoughts? Where do I stand legally?
I wondered if poeple might give me an opinion on a situation I find myself in.
Suppose you are building a project car, you have done everything you can yourself (over around 3 years) and it now comes to the last few bits which you decide to place with a recommended specialist.
The specialist gives you a quote and a time frame to complete the work. You accept the offer and deliver the car on the specified date, bang on time.
The specialist says your project is booked in for 2 weeks solid work, and at the end of that 2 weeks the car will be ready for collection and running - fantastic you think to yourself (after 3 years, this is the last part and you will finally see you dream machine running).
Family holiday booked, you jet off happy and content that your car will be ready for collection on return.
Then the excuses start, “didn’t have all the parts I needed”, “supplier didn’t deliver”, “my assistant has been off work”... and on and on...
You pop in on occasion, just to satisfy yourself that the car is still in one piece and actually at the premises, and you’re relieved to see it is, and progress has been made, the work done looking to be of good standard too...
Over this same period the specialist becomes less and less responsive to communication, he refuses to give out mobile number, which I kind of understand as it’s his personal phone I suppose, but he vary rarely ever answers land line, stops responding on Facebook chat and never replies to email... I’m now forced to communicate him through a mutual contact.
And it continues... 6 months have passed, at what point do I just say enough is enough? Is it reasonable to let him carry on, bearing in mind he must have put 100+ hours into it at this point... where should I be on payment? The job is not complete so I wouldn’t be willing to pay the full amount... at the same time, I’m now starting to wonder if he actually has the skills required to deliver.. he might be “stuck”?
What are people’s thoughts? Where do I stand legally?
sl0wlane said:
To my novice eye, if you know what you are doing, I think there are about 4 days or so work left (but it’s the more complicated / skilled part of the work).
It’s been in this state for nearly 2 months.
If it was me, I'd be taking it from there unless he can give you a written guarantee of the completion date.It’s been in this state for nearly 2 months.
You will have to pay something for the work completed . You sound like you know what’s required to finish off so I would get some figures together in your head .
If that was my vehicle and I’d spend years on it I would be picking it up Monday morning , I think you’ve been extremely generous leaving it there 6 months . Although I can’t quite work out why the specialist would Drag it on for so long , I’d want it out of the way and paying .
If that was my vehicle and I’d spend years on it I would be picking it up Monday morning , I think you’ve been extremely generous leaving it there 6 months . Although I can’t quite work out why the specialist would Drag it on for so long , I’d want it out of the way and paying .
I would send him a written notice that you are giving him 14 days to complete the work.
Failing that you will have to get someone else to complete the work and that you will then pay what is due less the cost to complete the work.
He is in breach of contract and he will be liable to you for the extra costs you incur in getting someone else to do it.
Failing that you will have to get someone else to complete the work and that you will then pay what is due less the cost to complete the work.
He is in breach of contract and he will be liable to you for the extra costs you incur in getting someone else to do it.
My guess is the next part of the work is the part he doesn't want to do, maybe he's out of his depth, or he can see that there's a problem that hadn't been allowed for.
Whatever, he obviously isn't going to do it so you may as well as get your car back. He'll probably breathe a sigh of relief.
Whatever, he obviously isn't going to do it so you may as well as get your car back. He'll probably breathe a sigh of relief.
Well, after chasing the mutual contact (which really isn’t fair, it’s nothing to do with him), I had a short reply.
I was told he will be back on the case next week, been off and has closed the business for the last couple of weeks due to serious illness - I have to treat that with compassion (to a point, it still doesn’t excuse the previous months).
I’ll be looking for a dramatic change in communication and progress before the end of this month, or just settle up and collect the car.
I’d rather not say what is being done, as I don’t think it’s fair to name and shame (at this point), and describing the work could lead a motivated individual to identify the business.
It is fair to say the work that needs doing is the harder / higher skilled bit of the work... that also depends on the work done so far being right.
What’s confusing is the track record of doing this kind of work with aplomb... and as above, if you’re a professional, surely you want a vehicle in, out and billed as quickly as possible, not tying up workshop space and unbilled hours.
Thanks for your thoughts people, it certainly motivated me to take a harder line and realise it’s probably time to call it a day... sadly.
I was told he will be back on the case next week, been off and has closed the business for the last couple of weeks due to serious illness - I have to treat that with compassion (to a point, it still doesn’t excuse the previous months).
I’ll be looking for a dramatic change in communication and progress before the end of this month, or just settle up and collect the car.
I’d rather not say what is being done, as I don’t think it’s fair to name and shame (at this point), and describing the work could lead a motivated individual to identify the business.
It is fair to say the work that needs doing is the harder / higher skilled bit of the work... that also depends on the work done so far being right.
What’s confusing is the track record of doing this kind of work with aplomb... and as above, if you’re a professional, surely you want a vehicle in, out and billed as quickly as possible, not tying up workshop space and unbilled hours.
Thanks for your thoughts people, it certainly motivated me to take a harder line and realise it’s probably time to call it a day... sadly.
sl0wlane said:
I’d rather not say what is being done, as I don’t think it’s fair to name and shame (at this point), and describing the work could lead a motivated individual to identify the business.
fair enough, but some of us will be able to give you an idea as to whether it was pie in the sky to begin with, and hence whether you can expect anything that will reasonably meet your expectations going forward. Even a very general idea would help, eg, he is repainting it, or fitting an engine management system etc. but your choice. I think the others are right, you'll end up going to get it back,
BTW, if it is having an interior done for it, all bets were off from the get go. Any trimmer specialist will always say 2 weeks but take 8 months, and that is if you are lucky!
BertBert said:
You do know don't you, that nothing will happen? I've been here and sat it out to the end. It's very hard to take back, but it won't just suddenly be done.
Bert
Bert
Personally I think they are fobbing you off with excuses, I'd get the car back and name and shame. If they were genuine they would reply to calls, emails, when they're overloaded then they'd say sorry and say they can't do it right now. 2 weeks -> 6 months, pisstake!In answer to the thread title, NOW is the time to say enough is enough (in fact, it was before now)
You've been taken for a ride.
Get the car back ASAP. Hit hard now.
Pay nothing at the moment and prepare a detailed summary of what work has been done and what you feel is due to him. You then offer that in full and final payment by cheque. Once the cheque is cashed, the matter is done.
Oldest trick in the book, people using illness and bereavement as an excuse, purely for the reason they think the customer will feel morally obliged not to challenge it.
Think about it, if it was the truth, you would have been informed long before now. All the non-contact, ignoring emails etc. Classic bulls
tter stuff.
I had similar with a Joiner a few years back.
You've been taken for a ride.
Get the car back ASAP. Hit hard now.
Pay nothing at the moment and prepare a detailed summary of what work has been done and what you feel is due to him. You then offer that in full and final payment by cheque. Once the cheque is cashed, the matter is done.
sl0wlane said:
and has closed the business for the last couple of weeks due to serious illness - I have to treat that with compassion
No. You definitely don't.Oldest trick in the book, people using illness and bereavement as an excuse, purely for the reason they think the customer will feel morally obliged not to challenge it.
Think about it, if it was the truth, you would have been informed long before now. All the non-contact, ignoring emails etc. Classic bulls
tter stuff.I had similar with a Joiner a few years back.
I'm also wondering what the financial situation is going to be. There seems to be two outcomes with car specialists - they take ages longer than they said, but honour the price, or they take ages longer than they said and the price goes up in accordance with the elapsed time. The latter being far more common than the former.
If it's the former, then if the OP doesn't mind the wait, then there are no other consequences. If it's the latter, the price is going up day by day!!
Bert
If it's the former, then if the OP doesn't mind the wait, then there are no other consequences. If it's the latter, the price is going up day by day!!
Bert
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