I've been working hard all summer in order to afford two things, my new computer and room redecoration, and my classic mini cooper. My mini has had it's engine rebuild, needs work on some electrics and just had some welding done. The guy who did the job took the car for a week giving me a quote of £200. The work he did changed slightly from the original quote but the overall amount didn't really change (didn't weld up the sills but did an extra patch on the floor). When he brought it back I had already agreed to pay him through bank transfer so he didn't get paid immediately, giving me a chance to look over the car without him there to see how it looked. He had simply slapped metal plates over the rust and welded, the old rust wasn't cut out and the panels weren't welded in the holes, they were welded on top. Also, he hadn't bothered to remove some plastic wheel arch trim that consequently melted, the exterior metal had deformed because he obviously did a quick job, not letting the metal cool down enough so as to avoid deformation, this has lead to the paint flaking off too. The immaculate brand new, resprayed boot had it's paint scratched off on one edge (to which he replied 'well the whole car needs a respray anyway') and instead of welding one hole like I asked he slapped filler on it so roughly that it is all over the surrounding area. I called the man to explain I wasn't happy with the job done and the increase in price, I requested we came to an agreement on a lower price. He refused to budge on price, losing his temper with me the longer he stayed on the phone. I kept my voice and my points calm and reasoned despite his approach. He ended the call by saying, "I'll be around tomorrow to collect £260 cash or I'll take your mini". This morning I was straight on the phone to Trading Standards who have told me three reasons why we legally didn't even have a contract and as such I am under no obligation to give him any money, in fact they suggested I might be able to claim for damages done to the car. This is good to hear and they are going to get back to me soon with more specific and official advice. However, in the mean time I am going home in under an hour and I know he'll turn up demanding payment, I am not looking forward to this confrontation and am very unhappy that he is bringing this to my house, affecting my family. I'm not sure if anyone has any advice, I just wanted to share my problem with you guys almost for moral support more than anything else! (PS, my mini is not at home anymore, it's been moved to a separate locked and CCTV-ed garage the other side of town so at least he isn't going to disappear with it!)
I'd get in touch with the cops, just incase things turn ugly. Report it, use Trading Standards words as backup, and hopefully they will just record your information in the event something goes horrible. And pay by cheque, not cash. Or maybe, if he wants cash, report him to inland revenue and chop him.
he didn't cut out the rust? yeah that's negligent because rust will keep eating away at the metal.. try to explain that to him- I wouldn't trust him with the car though- he sounds like a shavetree who doesn't know what he's doing I could weld it for you =] good to know you have legal options- maybe you should sue him for damages.. the next guy you hire will have to take a carbon rod and undo the welds he's done anyways
Yeah, if anything goes sour I'll be straight on the phone to the cops, and with regards paying cash I think the words 'trading standards' might make him sweat a bit, I'd be surprised if he's declaring all his revenue and paying tax. I tried explaining that the rust will just come back and he told me I knew nothing about welding and that nobody would do that. I also tried to tell him I, or one of my mates, could have done a rough plate up job to pass an MOT for free, I've got a nice little welder of my own. The whole point in paying for the job was to get it done properly!
Ask for an invoice with his full business name and address. If it is not his business then with his full personal address. If it is undeclared he can't / won't give you one.
Never pay cash for a bad job. Insist on an itemised, written invoice with his VAT number so that you "can" pay by cheque.
I was going to recommend having a nice big wrench in your hand when you open the door, but tbh that' just make it worse. As soon as you see him pull up, call the Police and have them escort him off.
Try be reasonable with him even if you offer him a smaller amount of money to avoid confrontation, just sounds like you come across a cowboy welder if that fails: drop the wrench you prepared from your sleeve earlier and catch it perfectly on the handle see what he says then If that fails try a maori war dance with your family on the driveway try get your neighbours to join in I mean... call the police
Dude, just don't pay for that shitty job he did, and send the bill to him when you get it "repaired" (done properly). And as the Trading Standards seems to be heavily on your side you should have nothing to fear (legaly), and coppers seems like a good idea too. Just bad that if this dude is angry as hell to you and your mini, the mini propably will get damage later on if he sees it, or maybe even stalks you to find the location where you store it (propably stupid enough to not care about CCTV, and CCTV can be simply ignored by using mask, and if the CCTV is even on or working). Always use legal ways to do business, at least if you're not doing it with good friends/relatives. Sure hope that he is not that stupid that he'll damage the Mini as a revenge, it looks so good.
I agree with the other points in this thread. Although things work differently in Canada from over across the pond. When he shows up. Call the COPS! Second, claim damage. He damaged your car, make him pay for it. Third, move and change your identity!
Thanks for the input guys, really appreciate it. I called him, got his answer-phone (thankfully) and left a calm and succinct message stating that I was seeking advice from trading standards and until I had heard back from them I was unwilling to discuss the matter with him further. I told him not to come to my house and not to contact me, I will contact him after I've been advised. He turned up anyway, was a bit thrown when both my parents and I came to the door. Although he kept his temper and left without much hassle he did say has he went, "I'll get my money one way or another". His response to us seeking advice from Trading Standards was that I will still have to pay him and that it will end up costing me more. Then, he went to the local shop that is run by one of my closest friends, the original link to the welder in question, though only by extension. The conversation he had with my friend at the shop got him so worried that he called and texted me until I noticed and rang him back (my phone was in my room, I'd left it upstairs to avoid any calls from the welder). He's told me that he knows the welder, he says he's a nasty bugger who'll do anything to get his money back and sincerely asked me to just pay him off to avoid the incoming hassle. Apparently the welder told him he'd be around again on Friday and he'll get his money no matter what. I'm worried he's going to hassle my friend as well as my and my family now. Tomorrow I'm going back to Trading standards for more advice and if he arrives again I'll be straight on the phone to the police. My mother is scared in her own home! It makes my blood boil. It's a good job I can hold my temper.
Deffently have a word to the cops, don't know if it's the same over there but here even threatened violence can be charged as assault.
Small claims court. File a claim NOW. Tell him you'll be happy to settle it in there. It'll cost you about fifty quid. Afterwards, call the police and tell them you're being threatened. They can't do anything on that account but if anything DOES happen they will have made a note of it. I would recommend you arrange for a social gathering on Friday. Lots of people, lots of witnesses. People lose bravado in front of a crowd.
He was aggressive to you, threatened to come and take your car if you don't pay him for that shoddy job, you asked him not to come over, but he did and threatened your whole family! What a numnuts... he sure can do something Fod! File for a restraining order asap, it won't cost you a cent. If he comes anywhere near you guys again, you can have him arrested. I hope you aren't going to give him a single penny! Once you have the go ahead from trading standards, you can take your mini somewhere decent, and get his shoddy work corrected, including all the panel and trim damage, and then trading standards will send him the bill You've got him by the balls, so to speak.
Yes, I will. Just had another call from my friend that's getting hassled about it, he'd desperate for me just to pay them because they're coming into his shop and screaming at him about it apparently, it's affecting his business. They've said "pay up by Friday or else", I guess they are desperate for trading standards not to get involved!
@Huge: - Contact TS again and ask if there has been any complaints about this guy before or if he is even registered (if not, he is ****ED) - Get a hold of the police as others have said, even if its just to make a complaint about the gut threatening you... This will help you in the long run. - Get your friend to contact the police aswell to lodge a complaint about this guy threatening him/her and his customers. - Take the car to another mechanic/welder/whatnot and get a quote on the repair work (if you have the quote from this ape from before he worked on it, the better for you) - Contact BBC Watchdog and see what they say (they may have complaints about him aswell). Pretty much create a paper trail for youself for when you claim the money back from this asswipe. PS: Dump the bitch Lawyer Up Hit The Gym ???? Profit
Don't get to excited by Trading Standards. They offer advice but its rare for them to actually get involved.
The problem is that he has since been described to me as being the type who won't back down, even if trading standards/the police get involved and prove that I'm within my rights not to pay £260. I've been told to expect my mini to be either nicked or done over with a sledge hammer unless I just cough up the money. At the end of the day, what will the police actually do about that? If my car disappears or gets trashed I'll get screwed by the insurance company for more than £260 and I'll have no car. There'll be nothing to prove who did it (unless I got very lucky) and it wouldn't remove the fear that he's putting on my family.
