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Bathroom Fitting
High end bathroom ruined.
We are at a point in our lives where we have decided to buy high end furnishings. The number of times we have gone cheap and ended up having to replace things is not been cost effective. Our children are now grown up so we don't have to worry about accidents and breakages.
We recently paid for new bathroom items, Bahaus, Roper Rhodes etc. It was expensive items but was looking forward to the end result.
Okay so we employed a bathroom fitter who told us it would take him 10 days to fit and tile the bathroom. We went on holiday because we wanted to escape the dust & dirt.
Out of the total payment due to him, he asked my son for 80% of it whilst we was on holiday. My son assumed that we had agreed to this but we had not.
Bear in mind that we purchased everything, furnishings, tiles, grout... everything, the only payment due to him was labour.
5 Weeks later we returned from our holiday and it still wasn't complete. The cabinet/mirror which we paid £500 for was smashed. he said he had forced it and it resulted in the mirrored fronts smashing. The brand new bath & toilet has got scratches all over them. He fitted a toilet which was leaking through my living room ceiling. The bath moves when any of us get in it! The tiles are wonky. There is holes around the bathroom in various places. And the worst of all is that he left sharp metal trim around the bath which is dangerous. Infact I caught my towel on it and it ripped my towel. We spoke with him and he said it will take a while to correct all the faults and he doesn't have that time free. We asked if he was going to replace the smashed cabinet/mirror and we got no response. I have had another bathroom fitter come and look at it and he says the work is terrible and the majority needs taking out and refitting and to do this we are looking at a minimum of £2000. To replace the cabinet smashed doors roper rhodes have quoted £310. The radiator he fitted is not working. The bathroom is in a bad way.
The bathroom fitter I employed cheekily asked me if I had the £700 still due to him and I have told him no, not until you have finished the job correctly. He says he doesn't have the time it will take and has now stopped communicating with me.
Legally where do I stand? He has had a massive payment from us but the work is not complete. To rectify his mistakes, damages to toilet, bath and mirror/cabinet we are looking at a further £2900.
Advice would be greatly appreciated.
2 Answers from MyBuilder Bathroom Fitters
Best Answer
Castleford • Member since 30 Apr 2015 • 45 jobs, 100% positive feedback
First of all people like that give decent plumbers a bad name.
Have you had anything in writing,time scale,order in which the work will be done, when payment will be give.(etc)
If you had an agreement that you would pay him when you got back and he asked your son for money knowing that he would hand it over is that not deceit? (the action or practice of deceiving someone by concealing or misrepresenting the truth).
Get his face on rogue traders.
Taking him to court isn't that hard or that expensive.
A first letter from a solicitor is usualy free.
Sorry I could not be of more help
Regards Steve
Answered 30th Mar 2017
Watford • Member since 26 Apr 2016 • 1 job, 100% positive feedback
Hi . Sorry to hear about your bad experience. Legally you certainly have a claim against him. Even if you had no written contract bad workmanship is bad workmanship. I would start with the citizens advice who will advise you of your rights and the next steps to take. They may refer your case to trading standards who could investigate the case on your behalf. Hope this helps. Good luck.
Answered 7th Apr 2017
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