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Non Paying client

Anonymous user 27 January 2015 - 12.43 PM

Hello fellow traders, I have had 3 weeks from hell fitting a kitchen for the worst client in my 17 years of trading. We are used to working with fussy clients and always manage to leave them happy but this customer has pushed me too far and I would like some advice on how to deal with them. We have fitted a kitchen, laid a large uncalibrated slate floor and decorated the kitchen, just to set the scene as we was laying the slate both the husband and wife were moderating which way around every single tile went which way up so the process took 3 days longer than it should. Alarm bells started to ring in the 2nd week of what should have been a 7 day turnaround, we are now 3 weeks in and I am paying my men out of my own pocket as any profit on the job has been spent on the extra time needed to deal with the clients fussiness. Below are a list of things we have had to deal with We have had to re-install the kitchen 3 times at different heights because of changes they made to the design We have spent 3 times longer than normal laying the floor because of how fussy they was when we was laying the tiles The ceiling has had 5 coats of paint now when it looked fine at 3 coats The curved breakfast bar was an epic to cut and after watching me spend all day making a jig and cutting the curves they decided that there was a 0.2 mm lip on one of the laminated edges factory fitted, I explained that I had to stick laminate edge to the curves and they needed filing down so I could file this one down swell but they kicked up a right fuss. Eventually they agreed to let me file it and within 30 seconds it was fine. After inspecting this breakfast bar thoroughly and agreeing for me to install it, I did so, I glued all of the masons mitres and carried on with other things..... They then found a very minor dimple in the surface of the laminate on the top, they now want the whole thing ripped out and replace, this would mean new worktop all around as it is all glued. I have already lost a tonne of money on this because of the client so I can not afford to replace all of his worktop for free especially when they ok'd the surface for installation. They are now holding back £1500.00 unless I sort the problem out Where do I stand? I have now argued with them to the point where I do not want to spend any more time in the house and they are refusing to pay me for the work completed. Any advice much appreciated

3 answers from MyBuilder tradespeople