A single mum claims she has been left with an unfinished, 'wonky' conservatory after a builder's work left her garden looking like a 'bombsite'. Rebecca Jordan, a care worker, says the whole experience left her tearful, having spent nights crying about her garden that set her back £3,500 instead of the £2,000 that was initially agreed.
Neighbours are also allegedly unhappy with the work, as Rebecca says they have complained about building materials being left in Paddock Lane, Oakenshaw. The unhappy mum says she has reported the builder to Worcestershire Trading Standards (WTS) who have since informed her that they are unable to act as it does not fall under their jurisdiction.
As reported by BirminghamLive, WTS said Rebecca would have to take the builder to civil court to get her money back. The builder - who we are not naming for legal reasons - said he had offered to remedy any issues, including removing any leftover materials.
Friends have rallied round Rebecca, who has a 17-year-old son with special needs. A fundraising appeal has been launched to support the family including a concert by local artist Steve Pound.
Rebecca said: "I’ve spent a week crying over it as that was hard-earned money. A professional I've have had in since said it all needs taking down, which would cost more than I've spent already.
"It was supposed to make my garden look nicer for my son, but my garden looks like a bomb’s hit it.” Rebecca bought a second-hand conservatory three years ago but wasn't able to find a builder to put it up.
When she put out a Facebook post this year asking if anyone could do the job, the builder responded. Rebecca claimed they agreed on an initial price of £2,000 to put up the conservatory at her two-bedroomed home in early August.
The builder, she said, asked for the money in three stages with an initial £800 upfront. But within two days, the mum claimed he asked for another £900, followed by £600.
Weeks after that, Rebecca claimed she was asked to hand over more payments for "urgent supplies" from new glass panels to fast-setting adhesive. He started work on August 12 but Rebecca alleges she ended up paying out a total of £3,532 before he stopped working on the unfinished conservatory around September 9.
Since then, Rebecca claims calls and messages to the builder have gone unanswered until September 29, when he agreed to meet her at a coffee shop on October 1, but didn't turn up. Rebecca claimed: “He turned up for the first few days on time but then started making excuses to leave early or saying he needed more money for supplies.
"Then there were sob stories about his dad being ill or his dad’s roof leaking. One time he even phoned to say he’d had a big session the night before and couldn’t make it, which got me thinking things weren’t right.
"Then he stopped coming altogether. I’m quite a savvy person but also a very trusting person. He told me it would take a week but it's been three months now.
"Citizen’s Advice gave me a template letter to send him but the email just bounces back." When contacted by Birmingham Live, the builder claimed: "I offered to go around and fix it and give her about £600 back for materials.
"I'm not giving her money back for the work I've done." In terms of any building materials left behind, the builder said: "It's not flytipping, just materials left behind and it will be cleared up by early next week.
"I've done my best. I'm going to take this to court."
Councillor Marcus Hart, Cabinet Member for Communities for Worcestershire County Council said, “In this case, the major issues related to breaches of the consumers civil rights, Trading Standards were unable to intervene. Local authority Trading Standards services have no powers to require traders to put work right or refund money.
"This must be done by the consumer, working through the civil courts if they cannot get redress any other way. Whether you need small building or gardening work carried out by a reputable trader, Trading Standards advice to homeowners is to ask people you know for recommendations and to check relevant Trade Associations for members."
A GoFundMe page to support Rebecca and her son has been set up here for anyone who wishes to donate.
Advice from Trading Standards when getting building work
Worcestershire Trading Standards said to follow this advice before agreeing for someone to do work on your home:
- Be wary of websites that claim to have vetted and approved traders: find out what checks they carry out and what happens if you have a complaint about a member - will it be investigated?
- Avoid sites that are no more than a directory listing; do not rely solely on online reviews that may not be genuine.
- Before any work is agreed, ask the trader for a detailed written quote and make sure you know their name, address and contact details.
- If the agreement is made at your home, you must also be given a written cancellation notice allowing you 14 days to cancel the contract.
- We would also advise against dealing with anyone who visits your home uninvited. Rogue traders and doorstep callers may do unnecessary work, or to a poor standard, or the price may rapidly increase.
- Complaints can be reported to the Citizens Advice Consumer Helpline number on 0808 223 1133.
