Scammed by a supposed tradesman..

Some_randomer

So it looks like I've fallen victim to a trade scammer in Dublin. Towards the end of June this year I posted a job for a gardener on a popular online tradesman site where tradespeople can reply and quote for jobs. I got 3 replies via email and also a direct phone call from a company (won't say the name just yet) run by a guy, let's call him John.

I met John and went through the work required in the garden. He has a business WhatsApp account, a Facebook page that looks like it was set up in 2017 with over 60 followers (multiple pictures but no reviews), also an Instagram page, and he wore a sweater with his company logo. I mentioned to him that I also wanted the outside of the house painted and he said he had a painter on his "team" so I agreed for him to do that job as well. Unfortunately the guy turned out to be a scammer. I paid a deposit (about 1/3 of the overall cost) and he started the garden work, and he also had another guy start the painting. But he asked for more money very quickly after starting and again a couple of days later, which I paid as I had met him in person and believed he was genuine.

So he basically did half a days work on the garden and left it unfinished, and his painter put one coat of paint on the house which is barely noticeable, and they never came back to finish the work. In total I paid him almost 1600 euro. As July was rained out he said he'd postpone the work until the weather improved so I held off contacting him until August as it rained pretty much every day in July. I had been trying to contact him for the first 3 weeks of August with no luck, then one day he replied on WhatsApp saying he had a personal emergency and had been unavailable, and if I sent more money he'd resume the painting. I told him I had already paid him most of the money and I wanted the painting and garden work finished first, and after I refused to pay him he went silent again. That was almost 2 weeks ago.

So I searched for him online again and then noticed a review on his Facebook page form a guy saying he did the same thing to his mum and that he was a scammer. This customer is just outside Dublin and had engaged John to renovate her garden, but he done the same thing to her i.e. took 3000 euro deposit and started the job but never came back to finish it. Her son posted the review on Facebook and I have since been in touch with him - they went to the Gardai and reported him there, and I plan to report him also.

So I'm wondering what my options are and if there's any way I can recover the money? Someone mentioned the Small Claims court but I'm guessing I'd need an address or registered company details, and all I have is his phone number. I searched the CRO website for his company name and found 4 similar companies but none the exact same name, so it's difficult to tell if he's registered as a company.

I'd be grateful for any advice on this, thanks in advance.

afatbollix

Put reviews all over the internet with his name and company name so no one else gets scammed.

Go to the Gardai too and report him. Its theft at the end of the day. They prob won't do anything mind.

Unreguser

Very curious about this, sounds very familiar to a company i used. Where they based in Santry?

Some_randomer

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121101052#Comment_121101052

Annoyingly I failed to get exact details from him, and I now know I should have asked for more details like if he had insurance etc.

Feel free to pm me and I'll send you his company name.