Screwed Over By An Electrician - Desperate For Help, What Can I Do?

[Bazzzy]

Hi All,

Thinking I would get decent, honest service, I went with a locally advertised Electrician/workman for some electrical work & a complete room renovation.

At first he was very good but then started to slack off badly & eventually stopped turning up. I managed to persuade him to call round after a week & he said he was just in one of those moods!

We agreed that he would deal with his issues first & then start the following week but made it clear he simply keep me informed. I even brought back some duty free cigarettes for him from a trip! Unfortunately, he has again not turned up once and is refusing to reply to any of my calls.

I am recovering from a heart attack and am due to have major surgery in 3 weeks time for a very invasive & painful throat operation & informed him of that. I also live with a very ill elderly & disabled mother to whom this has caused so much trouble & hassle - it has broken my heart. She is really suffering because of this.

He has left my room completely gutted with various electrical cables lying across the floor (live) connected just to these metal boxes & sockets with wires hanging out of the wall as well as incomplete plumbing and destroying my phone line.

I am extremely upset about this & because he has hurt not only me & taken my money, he has actually hurt my very ill mother. Is there someone or some professional or official body that I can complain to so that they can take action against this guy? For all I know, he could have left my house as a potential death trap. Can I get him via some authority to either finish the work or repay my money by dictate or threat to have his license revoked by some governing or licensing body? I am hoping that faced with this, he will learn that will not get away with what he has done. If anyone can be of help, please kindly tell me what I can do? I am really desperate now & very depressed as my operations are only 3 weeks away & I will be bedridden for at least a few weeks to recover and there is no way I can live in the state he has left my room in. Please someone tell me how this guy can either be struck off or forced to honour his obligations.

With Sincere Thanks,

Bazzy.

 

[Spudnik]

Welcome to the forums and sorry to hear you have been badly let down.

Your first option would be to try and find him listed here:

Local Authority Building Control - SEARCH

Then, once you have found which scheme he belongs to, contact them and see if they can be of any help.

However, if he is not a registered contractor, then your only option is a solicitor.

Good luck.

 

[Jonesy83]

sounds like a complete scumbag to me ****** like this gives honest sparks a bad name hope you get it sorted mate

 

[Bazzzy]

Hi All,

Many thanks for the replies - what should I do in the meantime with all these wires sprawled out across my floor & from the sockets? They are live for sure as the sockets work - is is a fire risk? I do not want to put anyone at risk including my neighbours but I do not know enough about these things.

Bazzy!

 

[mars6394]

can i just say i find that appauling and fell like i want to come round and finish or even start the work myself for you, i dont think this competent person scheme really works im a nvq lvl 3 spark got my 17th edition 2391 soon but still i am not deemed competent enough to wire a house ,this guy just sounds like a bodge and scarper guy con mertchant i hope u solve this problem but i would personally send the dogs round for him n wouldnt bother with the labc as you will still have nothing sorted months down the line but hope evrything goes well for you both

 

[DurhamSparky]

Bazzy were do you live!!????

im sure some kind hearted person on the forums will come round and at least make safe for you!

near Durham???

 

[mars6394]

im in manchester?

 

[Crosswire]

Name and shame this so called sparky. Sounds like someone people should be aware of, so as to avoid them at all cost.

 

[Bazzzy]

Hi All,

I live in Greater London, (Harrow, Middx) - many thanks for the offers of kind help - all I want is a decent honest person to do a safe job - it seems that is impossible to do down my way ( are all the decent workmen all up north?!). I first got shafted by a bunch of Polish guys who were recommended due to their so called "hard work ethic" and this time I thought I would go local and someone who is fully English speaking to minimise the risks but it seems they must see sucker written all over me.

I know it is very wrong but I just want to go round & threaten to burn his down & see how he likes it but that is not in my nature & it seems with the way things are in this country, conmen & criminals can get away with anything & we decent people just have to put up with it. What if this guy ends up killing people one day due to his shoddy work - he would not even care I bet? It is beyond me how so wonderful they appear on the surface & what they are really like on the inside. I know where he lives but am in two minds whether to round in case he gets violent or something - I am quite fragile after my heart attack & cannot afford to get hurt badly as I am on blood thinners. I wish I knew a few heavies!

Sorry to rant everyone - I just do not want him to get away with what he is doing to us and hopefully that will make him think twice about doing the same to others in future. If anyone knows a decent & reasonably priced electrician near me - please let me know.

Many Thanks All,

Bazzy.

 

[pennywise]

PM sent hope he can help.

 

[Anonomoose]

What is the work involved? e.g. what did you want, what did he do/ not do?

I dont know what you can do other than report him to trading standards and the governing body he was registered with (if any) e.g. Elecsa, ECA, NIC.

 

[Bazzzy]

What is the work involved? e.g. what did you want, what did he do/ not do?

I dont know what you can do other than report him to trading standards and the governing body he was registered with (if any) e.g. Elecsa, ECA, NIC.

Hi,

I will definitely call trading standards & see what they say & if they can help - I did not think of them! As I have a little time on my hands, I will also try & contact those bodies & see if he is registered with any of them!

Many Thanks!

Bazzy!

 

[DurhamSparky]

what was he trading as!! ??? can quickyly check with his company name or his postcode!!

 

[Bazzzy]

what was he trading as!! ??? can quickyly check with his company name or his postcode!!

Hi,

I answered his ad in the local paper - you know the type " Friendly & Reliable Local Electrician, No Job To Small" etc. The reason I chose local was that I thought they would be the last people to do such a thing as their work is local & their reputation would soon get tarnished as word got around & also that I would be able to find them in case of future problems or any further work I might have needed.

I have a pretty good idea where he lives and his parents but will need to check with the electoral register just to make sure.

Is there any way, i can check to see which body he is qualified with or who grants him his licence? I could then contact them & see if that helps - maybe loosing his licence might bring about a sense of decency within him? He is a sole trader I think?

I gave him my entire room to do - electrical, plumbing, sanding & painting, changing telephone socket position & running extensions, wallpapering, laying AV cables, & lay laminate floor. It sounds like a lot but they were not huge jobs and he said he would take care of the electrics, av cables & telephone socket, his son the plumbing & his colleague the rest. He has butchered my telephone line so I cannot use it and cannot access my own internet even though I am paying for it. I am currently using my sisters work router!

Is there anything the local council can do? Do they have a safety department or team that deal with poor workmen that flout work standards? I have his car registration if that helps?

Bazzy!

 

[DurhamSparky]

Local Authority Building Control - SEARCH

bash a few details in to that pal..

to give it a quick whirl punch in Durham Electrics in trading name and should bring me up along with another firm my way!

if you have his postcode it works the same

TRADING STANDARDS will be interested but see what his scheme (if registered) says first as they can revoke his Part P Card!