Driveway Disaster

techdude

Hi Folks,
We recently decided to get our driveway paved and widened and it is turning into a bit of a disaster. We got a few quotes and the company we went with seemed genuine enough. We thought the price was reasonable and he gave us some addresses in our area that they had done similar work and advised us to go and check them out which we did and it all looked good.

They promised that they would start last Monday and they would be finished by Thursday at the latest.

I called them Sunday evening to ask if they needed anything such as electricity or keys to the side gate etc. No answer but left a message asking the above. Monday they didn't show up so I made the same call Monday evening and left the same message about power and keys for gate etc.

Tuesday they showed up and when I got back from work the driveway and garden had been dug up and a big trailer dumped in the middle of the garden. We haven't seen or heard from them since. I have also noticed that after me asking twice if they needed a key to the side gate they actually climbed over to open it and have damaged the fence. We have called countless times leaving messages and speaking to a different guy at their office who knew nothing. I eventually got the guy I was dealing with on Saturday but he put on an accent and pretended to be someone else (it was ridiculous - he has a really distinctive voice and accent and it started off sounding eastern european and then went to his own accent and was a london accent by the end of the call). This doesn't sound good to me.

I have paid no money yet but the place is destroyed and i live in a small cul-de-sac so my car being outside my drive is blocking the neighbours etc.

Any advice??

Musha

Have yoy been speaking to the Manager? Go down and speak to them face to face, See if he tries to change the accent then:D(or maybe you will encounter is Evil twin)


Lock you gates, Move their stuff on to the public road and tell them to collect their stuff and forget about it. If it starts bad it usually ends bad.

Alt don't pay them anything until the damage to your garden and fencing is fixed. Take photo's !! There is no reason for shoddy work plenty of companies out there that will do good work.

techdude

Thanks Musha. Yeah the guy I was dealing with owns the "company" I believe.

I'd have no problem in telling them to just 'forget it' but that still leaves me with a destroyed driveway and garden.

I can't find the business listed on the CRO website so I'm going to give the CRO a call and try and find out if this business is actually registered and then take it to Consumer affairs. I assume that even though I have not actually paid any money yet, blatantly destroying somone's property, which is all they have done, still breaks some sort of law?

wyndham

Post removed.

Dub13

Del2005

Did you call into any of the houses they had claimed to have done. It's not unknown for cowboys to lie.

Apart from that do as the others have said, dump their stuff on the road and don't let them back. Ring the next best quote and tell them the story, they'll proberly try and add extra but at least the drive will be done.

I think you may not have much joy getting money for damages if they are as big a bunch of cowboys as you decribe, may be better to chalk it up to experience.

mikemac

Is the trailer still there?
It's worth money so maybe take it and hide it a neighbours or a family member as I realy don't think you'll ever see compensation.
You can put it in the Buy&Sell in a month or two.

(but don't do this if you fear for your saftey)

Musha

If he is a Sole trader then may not be reg with CRO, check his VAT number with the revenue, Could be an interesting conversation with the manager if he not reg for VAT aswell.

should have both numbers on all docs