Should I Be Worried ? Can Start Tomorrow...

[Rolo]

Think Ive made a mistake, I had a builder come round tonight 7:30pm.

I need the bit of the drive around the bay cut away, some gravel put in for drainage, and some repointing and rendering on the bay. I had others around and the work he said needed doing was the same, price same as well. He said he could start tomorrow or at least people working for him could. I ended up saying yes , getting it done quick appealed. Would the 'can start tomorrow' worry you, is it usual to have teams of builders avaliable like this ?

Bugger I know its my fault should of done more check

 

[ricicle]

Did he drive a white van and talk quickly?

 

[Rolo]

Did he drive a white van and talk quickly?

yeah, white van with orange flashing light and spoke quickly - top of the day .. f*ck

 

[ricicle]

Absolutely no payment until the job is finished and you are happy.

You may be surprised - I could be stereotyping un-necessarily.

 

[Rolo]

Absolutely no payment until the job is finished and you are happy.

You may be surprised - I could be stereotyping un-necessarily.

He said no payment till the job is done which I suppose is one good thing even promised an invoice...yeah could be me just stereotyping I suppose.. look like figures crossed, I mean theres not that much damage they go do .....

 

[notb665]

See this month's Viz.

 

[Thermo]

id be worried, but you may be lucky.........................

 

[Rolo]

Problem I have is that Im new to area and have no one to recommend people to me though I should used my head more this time.

 

[JohnD]

You need to establish the finished price before letting him start

"That's fully inclusive? For the whole drive? Preparation materials and labour? No extras? I can't afford to pay a penny more"

Make him write it down. Or write it down yourself and make him sign it. Ask for his name and address and say you'll be paying by cheque made out to that name.

heard from someone who was quoted a price for his drive... when finished the guy said "that was the price per square metre.... so, twenty square metres is...."

As you realise now, you should have turned him away

 

[Rolo]

Im just going to have take a sicky and keep an eye on them, his mobile is off now.

Cheers

 

[Thermo]

if youre not happy dont have the work done. Meet him when he arrives. If its a problem offer him a bit of dosh for the inconvenience you have caused and ask him to be on his way. Act in haste repent in leisure.

keep us updated!

 

[joe-90]

He could be kosher, but if they are travelers, then watch out. They'll do the job and then argue that you agreed to pay three times what you really agreed. When you refuse - they get nasty.

 

[Shutpa]

He could be kosher, but if they are travelers, then watch out. They'll do the job and then argue that you agreed to pay three times what you really agreed. When you refuse - they get nasty.

Nearly fell into the same trap a couple of years ago when I replied to an ad in the local paper offering to do drives. I accepted his written quotation which was about one third of the others that I had recieved. He agreed to start the next day but I took cold feet overnight and because I was working the next day, I left a big chalked notice on a board in my drive saying that I had changed my mind and that if he did any work, however little, he would not be paid. I dont know if he even turned up, but a few days later the same guy conned a not too distant neighbour out of three and a half grand for work NOT DONE on his roof!

 

[Rolo]

He could be kosher, but if they are travelers, then watch out. They'll do the job and then argue that you agreed to pay three times what you really agreed. When you refuse - they get nasty.

I'm going to work from tomorrow now and just wait for him, he could be kosha but I aint risking it. When he turns up I will ask him for written agreement of the price and what it covers, if he wont do it, I will sending him or his way, or worse set the misses on him.

Will post back tomorrow with an update

 

[Softus]

had a builder come round tonight 7:30pm.
.
.
I had others around and the work he said needed doing was the same, price same as well.

I infer that you solicited his visit. Did you?

When he turns up I will ask him for written agreement of the price and what it covers, if he wont do it, I will sending him or his way, or worse set the misses on him.

Why? If you asked him to come round and quote, and the price matched that of "others", and you accepted the price, then what's he going to think when you ask him to put the quote in writing? It would be reasonable to wonder what game you were playing.

And if you asked him to come and quote, would it be unreasonable of him to plan ahead and arrange to have people available to start work the next day on what (to him) might be a small job? I see no reason (yet) not to give him the benefit of the doubt, nut instead of being appreciative of his time so far, you've come onto the forum whining about it.

It would be more courteous, and natural, to ask him to confirm the price in front of your "missus" as a witness. You could jot down the amount in front of him without making any comment about it being in writing and without being insulting.

With many of this type of post/topic (on this site) it's the customer that's the rogue and not the builder/tradesman.