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.

 

[jase]

Pleased to hear one of the members has offered to help out, however, please be aware that if any remedial works are carried out beforehand, then you will not have the opportunity to bring the rogue trader to task.

Your call, however, good luck!

sounds urgent though, could take pics of bodged work before remedial done

 

[Spudnik]

sounds urgent though, could take pics of bodged work before remedial done

See post 41.

However, the original 'electrician' if registered, would have the opportunity to put the work right first.

That, of course, is assuming he was allowed to.

 

[bugsy]

Hi Bazzy,

Having read the ads this guy put in the local paper I think you were a little bit on the foolhardy side by employing a handyman to carryout your electrical installation,
I will try to contact him but I need a bit more info first
1: what work did he actually qoute to carry out
2:How much was he going to charge,
3: How much have you paid him to date ( and have got a receipt )

 

[Bazzzy]

Hi Bazzy,

Having read the ads this guy put in the local paper I think you were a little bit on the foolhardy side by employing a handyman to carryout your electrical installation,
I will try to contact him but I need a bit more info first
1: what work did he actually qoute to carry out
2:How much was he going to charge,
3: How much have you paid him to date ( and have got a receipt )

Hi Bugsy,

Thanks again, I will reply the details via PM if that's OK? I had been ripped off before by Polish guys & then given the runaround by countless others & after months of this got really fed up. I have a guy who lives down the road from me who is an electrician & even he let me down so many times as he kept promising me he would be free in a two weeks which turned into months & then he said he had a new long term contract and could not do it!

I got so fed up from the Gumtree type of ads & asked everyone I knew if they could recommend me a decent person but none knew any. I finally decided the best course was to use someone who was native to the country so there were no communication issues, someone who who local so they could be chased up in case of problems in future & who could be used again with confidence on the basis that they would have to maintain their reputation & therefore care about their work as they depend on local custom & his customers would know where he lives/operates. Also, that he would not just disappear like some of the Eastern European types after they have got some money. After being let down by everyone else, I thought going local was the best thing to do! I had no where else to try sadly.

The reason I kept him on to do everything was he turned up as said & the first day he seemed to to a really good job & offered all types of work, not just electrical. He was very friendly & amenable but things started to slack after that.

It has been about 2 months now - I had a five day break within that & after the first time he disappeared for over a week, he returned & apologised citing he had to take his friend to hospital and was very busy etc. After I explained to him how delicate things were, he promised it would not happen again but I have not been able to contact him again. I have been able to contact his friend who was in hospital & he informed me that he has not heard from him in quite some time so he was very clearly lying about taking him to hospital sadly.

Bazzy.

 

[eddielarge]

Hi Bugsy,

Thanks again, I will reply the details via PM if that's OK? I had been ripped off before by Polish guys & then given the runaround by countless others & after months of this got really fed up. I have a guy who lives down the road from me who is an electrician & even he let me down so many times as he kept promising me he would be free in a two weeks which turned into months & then he said he had a new long term contract and could not do it!

I got so fed up from the Gumtree type of ads & asked everyone I knew if they could recommend me a decent person but none knew any. I finally decided the best course was to use someone who was native to the country so there were no communication issues, someone who who local so they could be chased up in case of problems in future & who could be used again with confidence on the basis that they would have to maintain their reputation & therefore care about their work as they depend on local custom & his customers would know where he lives/operates. Also, that he would not just disappear like some of the Eastern European types after they have got some money. After being let down by everyone else, I thought going local was the best thing to do! I had no where else to try sadly.

The reason I kept him on to do everything was he turned up as said & the first day he seemed to to a really good job & offered all types of work, not just electrical. He was very friendly & amenable but things started to slack after that.

It has been about 2 months now - I had a five day break within that & after the first time he disappeared for over a week, he returned & apologised citing he had to take his friend to hospital and was very busy etc. After I explained to him how delicate things were, he promised it would not happen again but I have not been able to contact him again. I have been able to contact his friend who was in hospital & he informed me that he has not heard from him in quite some time so he was very clearly lying about taking him to hospital sadly.

Bazzy.

did u actually pay this guy a penny for what he had done

 

[Bazzzy]

did u actually pay this guy a penny for what he had done

Hi,

Sadly, yes, most of it as I trusted him as a local guy and he said he would take care of most of the issues after the walls & flooring were done as that would be best. As he lives only a few minutes from me, I did not think he would even consider doing such a thing and initially he seemed like such a decent guy if you could possibly believe?

Bazzy.

 

[m25maintenance]

Give us his number. We will give him lots of nice fake bookings, ill even give him my local police station address

 

[m25maintenance]

Mate im in london. If u need help ill pop over

 

[Bazzzy]

Mate im in london. If u need help ill pop over

Hi!

Many Thanks matey - a few here have offered to help & I am sure I could do with your help!

Bazzy!

 

[m25maintenance]

sparks in london lets book this ******* to visit a site in london we can all be at and pretend we know nothing bout electrics and see what **** he feeds us. any 1 up 4 it. lets fight against ***** who give us all a bad name

 

[eskimo39]

sparks in london lets book this ******* to visit a site in london we can all be at and pretend we know nothing bout electrics and see what **** he feeds us. any 1 up 4 it. lets fight against ****** who give us all a bad name

Alternativley we could just book him to turn up at a deserted building and give him a Twizzler!!!!

Moderators.... I am just joking of course and do not condone violence in any way shape or form.

 

[cbw]

I should learn to keep my mouth shut!!!!

 

[eskimo39]

My offer of help still stands,

however why is Bazzy not answering all the questions put to him?

The standard of work in those pictures is SO bad it resembles a DIY disaster?

Are we being told the full story?

I know I can be very suspiscious so sorry in advance if I am being over cautious.

I think Bazzy is in contact with a member on here and has sent him the cowboys details etc.

 

[Sintra]

Bazzy has been in contact and the cowboys details have been pm'd. The details of this guy can not be posted in this forum so please guys do not ask bazzy to post them.

 

[cbw]

Excellent, my post will be removed, cynical old bugger that I am!!!!!

As previously stated I am available, now looking 17th May for my first free day......I will make tea!

CBW