Rogue traders - can we get money back?
Discussion
Looks like my parents have just been done over by a rogue roofer.
Father paid £10k by bank xfr for work which has either not been done or done very badly. Roof is now in a worse state than it was and is going to need extensive work to repair.
He paid by bank xfr.
He has spoken to the bank but they told him that because they did some work its a dispute between him and them and he cant pull the payment back.
He admits that the bank asked him several times if he was sure before they did the xfr.
I've told them to call trading standards and the police but not sure what else can be done?
Ideas?
Mum knew nothing about it, seems like he just went off on one randomly. Guess we're going to have to sit down and face up to dementia kicking in.
Father paid £10k by bank xfr for work which has either not been done or done very badly. Roof is now in a worse state than it was and is going to need extensive work to repair.
He paid by bank xfr.
He has spoken to the bank but they told him that because they did some work its a dispute between him and them and he cant pull the payment back.
He admits that the bank asked him several times if he was sure before they did the xfr.
I've told them to call trading standards and the police but not sure what else can be done?
Ideas?
Mum knew nothing about it, seems like he just went off on one randomly. Guess we're going to have to sit down and face up to dementia kicking in.
I think the only legal recourse is to sue the roofer (small claims), but if they're cowboys that could be difficult or impossible. Only fight battles if you think you have a chance of winning. I think the most likely way forward is to stump up for remedial work and consign the affair to history, unfortunately.
Dog Biscuit said:
Xfr? Isn't that some sort of Jaguar?
Very useful, well done. We had a relatively lucky escape in similar circumstances - my mother agreed to a roof repair that involved removing all the tiles, new battens and felt and replacing tiles reusing as many as possible (roughly 80% or so). Within a few months of the job being done water was pissing through the ceilings.
A request to remedy via the “warranty” was met with a quote of £9k for “extra work required”. We eventually settled on chipping in £900 for the scaffolding and to be fair it was fine from that point on.
But a classic case of friendly chaps taking advantage of the elderly.
lets just hope they don't have offspring.Thanks all most.
Remains to be seen if roofer can be traced properly. Dont think they made any claim to be acredited.
He found them on checkatrade he says. They look to have some sort of £1k guarantee.
House insurance is a good call - hadn't thought about that.
They probably have to accept its lost.
Thank god he told them he couldn't afford their offer to remove the 'dangerous' chimney....
Remains to be seen if roofer can be traced properly. Dont think they made any claim to be acredited.
He found them on checkatrade he says. They look to have some sort of £1k guarantee.
House insurance is a good call - hadn't thought about that.
They probably have to accept its lost.
Thank god he told them he couldn't afford their offer to remove the 'dangerous' chimney....
TooLateForAName said:
Dog Biscuit said:
Xfr? Isn't that some sort of Jaguar?
In the nicest way.... bog offUnfortunately this is a very common scam with roofing and driveway work, especially targeting older homeowners.
A bank transfer is difficult to reverse because it was authorised, but there are still a few things they should do. They should contact Citizens Advice Consumer Service who will pass the case to Trading Standards, as they deal with rogue traders and cases where work has been misrepresented or carried out badly. It should also be reported to Action Fraud so there is a crime reference number on record.
They should go back to the bank and ask for the payment to be reviewed specifically as an Authorised Push Payment scam, as banks will sometimes reimburse where someone has been misled into sending money.
It’s important to photograph all the work and get an independent roofer to inspect it and provide a written opinion on what has been done wrong, as this can be useful evidence.
If the trader’s real name and address are known it may also be possible to pursue them through the small claims court for poor workmanship or breach of contract.
It’s also worth checking the company on Companies House as many of these operators set up new companies that disappear quickly.
If there are concerns about dementia or vulnerability that is also relevant, as banks tend to take financial abuse of vulnerable customers more seriously.
Hope that helps and please accept my apologies
TooLateForAName said:
Remains to be seen if roofer can be traced properly. Dont think they made any claim to be acredited.
He found them on checkatrade he says. They look to have some sort of £1k guarantee.
Well that's worth going for at least.He found them on checkatrade he says. They look to have some sort of £1k guarantee.
Small claims *might* work but it would be a battle with uncertain outcome and if they're roughnecks you might get a brick through your window.
Simpo Two said:
TooLateForAName said:
Remains to be seen if roofer can be traced properly. Dont think they made any claim to be acredited.
He found them on checkatrade he says. They look to have some sort of £1k guarantee.
Well that's worth going for at least.He found them on checkatrade he says. They look to have some sort of £1k guarantee.
Small claims *might* work but it would be a battle with uncertain outcome and if they're roughnecks you might get a brick through your window.
The manufacturer of the system they fitted, and who recommended them to us was similarly shafted by them for a good deal more money. Moral, I should have done my own due diligence, but the fact they were recommended without reservation by the people who produced the system meant I didn't
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