I'm thinking of suing can he go bankrupt?

[OMGAMISTUFFED]

Awful time of a new installation by an idiot! He spent most of his time with his phone attached to his ear held between his shoulder and face!
The "dead man's switch" was put on back to front, so when the door was opened NOTHING got turned off!
He cut off all the earth wires to 240V metal lights at floor level and in window boards (uplights)
No Grommets in Main fuse box, cut out the top of the box in a really jagged way and then attached a bit of tape around the cutout.
Armoured cable left exposed at the ends.
Earth wires twisted together with no sheathing.
Switches with wires going nowhere!
Cables inserted into fuses but not tightened in with the end of the cable running outside and also in one of the cupboards.
Charged me "mates Rates" at £350 a day, arrived at ten, had coffee and a smoke, had lunch at one and buggered off at 2 so he could pick up his kids!
The list goes on....O'h and ran a cable over the joist, only found that one when the plumber had to move the bath slightly and nearly cut through it!
I seriously want to run him over.....Joking...!!!!
Any ideas on how to get him to pay for the work that has had to be carried out by a qualified electrician, we're up to possibly 2- 2.5 grand so far. Everything has had to be checked where it's going to and from....Nothing written on any wiring. Mains box taken off the wall and re-wired.
Can he just go bankrupt and walk away?? GRRRRRRRR.... can you tell I'm not happy...!
Cheers everyone.

 

[snowhead]

Is he a limited comonay or sole trader?
And did you pay cash for these mates rates?

 

[OMGAMISTUFFED]

Is he a limited comonay or sole trader?
And did you pay cash for these mates rates?

Limited unfortunately, he has 2 companies going. And No I paid by bank draft.

 

[Rockingit]

Wow. OK - firstly, on behalf of actual proper electricians who take a pride in our work I extend an apology that as an industry we are hamstrung to not being able to prevent these cowboys, no matter how much we might like to.

With regards to where you are.... this is complex. Before even contemplating any chance of success in court you need to be able to demonstrate what was agreed and at what price. You then need to be able to prove that what you actually got wasn't up to it. By the sounds of it the latter should be easy enough but you'll almost certainly have to engage a Chartered Surveyor (who in turn will commission an electrical inspector) to instigate a dispute in the construction court.

However, as you rightly observe, often it's the case that you can throw even more money at the costs involved without any hope of seeing them back again. Trading Standards may take an interest and that'll cost you nothing, except most districts are stupidly overworked and understaffed so don't hold your breath.

If it were me, I'd find a friendly CS for an initial chat to evaluate where you're at.

I'm saying all this based on an assumption that the clown isn't part of a Part P scheme such as Napit/NICEIC etc - if they ARE then report the matter direct to them as ultimately they have insurance to put right whatever is wrong at no cost to you, but be prepared for an uphill struggle.

 

[OMGAMISTUFFED]

Snowhead and Rockingit, he's not registered with anyone, he was but let it lapse. was with Napit (they were chocolate teapot) Niceic told me to get him back to sort it out....errr NO!
Thank you for the advice by the way, good thought about Trading standards. this bloke is working in schools for goodness sake!
Luckily we have an electrician friend who has taken on the task of trying to sort out this blokes mistakes...you should hear the expletives coming out....!! hahaha.

 

[James]

I think the first thing to do is to employ a registered electrician to do an EICR (REPORT) on the property.
it will give you an idea of what needs to be done for the installation to be made safe and compliant.

as to the matter of getting any money back, first find out what the cost of finishing the job is.

 

[littlespark]

Sounds like a lot of it has now been repaired… which means little or no proof of what was wrong. (Unless you have photographic evidence)

This does go on far more than anyone would admit. Serial con merchants, half assed jobs, no comeback.

Did you go with him because he said he would be cheap?

 

[Rockingit]

Snowhead and Rockingit, he's not registered with anyone, he was but let it lapse. was with Napit (they were chocolate teapot) Niceic told me to get him back to sort it out....errr NO!
Thank you for the advice by the way, good thought about Trading standards. this bloke is working in schools for goodness sake!
Luckily we have an electrician friend who has taken on the task of trying to sort out this blokes mistakes...you should hear the expletives coming out....!! hahaha.

Make absolutely sure that you have a full report on what needs correcting and can demonstrate that you've given the guy an opportunity to return and correct his work. However unlikely that may be, you need to show reasonableness in giving him the chance.

 

[OMGAMISTUFFED]

Make absolutely sure that you have a full report on what needs correcting and can demonstrate that you've given the guy an opportunity to return and correct his work. However unlikely that may be, you need to show reasonableness in giving him the chance.

I did arrange a meeting, it lasted three minutes and he said "I don't care a ---- about this job" at that point I asked him to leave!
He still has a lightening rod and cable that I paid for, Can't see my seeing that again, can you?
feels better getting this off my chest so to speak....Thanks guys for the advice.

 

[Vortigern]

I just can't understand why you ever paid him. Three hours a day for £350, sorry but someone around here is pretty stupid and it is not just the cowboy you had around.

 

[DPG]

OP, how do you know this bloke?

Also, I'm sure I've seen that user name on here before.

 

[OMGAMISTUFFED]

I just can't understand why you ever paid him. Three hours a day for £350, sorry but someone around here is pretty stupid and it is not just the cowboy you had around.

Thanks for that...Believe me, we're not stupid, but it appears that when an "electrician" starts a job NO ONE wants to take over their job!! Something to do with taking on the responsibility of someone's else's possible mistakes..WHOSE going to sign off an idiots work....? Been in business for 53 years....have 92 acres, several houses.....am I an idiot...TRUST ME when I say he won't get away with this!

 

[OMGAMISTUFFED]

OP, how do you know this bloke?

Also, I'm sure I've seen that user name on here before.

Came from a mutual friend, they said he was a little unreliable, they didn't say however what an a>>>>>>Hole he is. And no, never been here before, came looking for advice and get this sh.. off my chest. Thought I'd chosen an unusual name....obviously not. There must be another person just as cheesed off as me!

 

[OMGAMISTUFFED]

Sounds like a lot of it has now been repaired… which means little or no proof of what was wrong. (Unless you have photographic evidence)

This does go on far more than anyone would admit. Serial con merchants, half assed jobs, no comeback.

Did you go with him because he said he would be cheap?

Hi Littlespark, O'h YES I have SO many photographs....and YES I thought he was going to be cheaper than the 60 grand estimate given by one sparks...should have guessed he was useless when he didn't understand my three phase electric and 38 solar panels!!! Not enough power Captain for two ovens, two warming drawers, dishwasher, and hob ...he actually said "I didn't know you were going to have a hob.....WTF!

 

[DPG]

Came from a mutual friend, they said he was a little unreliable, they didn't say however what an a>>>>>>Hole he is. And no, never been here before, came looking for advice and get this sh.. off my chest. Thought I'd chosen an unusual name....obviously not. There must be another person just as cheesed off as me!

You knew he was unreliable, but still went with him. Despite you having a friend who is an electrician according to your later post.

Something not right here. Or were you just trying to get it done cheap and cheerful?

 

[OMGAMISTUFFED]

You knew he was unreliable, but still went with him. Despite you having a friend who is an electrician according to your later post.

Something not right here. Or were you just trying to get it done cheap and cheerful?

Not so much cheap and cheerful, but a better price than being ripped off, friend wasn't able to help out at the time, this build has been going on for two years now. When someone says they will give you mates rates you think that your getting a good deal...as they say if it seems too good to be true...I've known him for at least ten years, maybe more, doesn't live near me, so have no idea what his work was like...I do now! Have a look at his work...I'm intrigued to know what you think.

 

[James]

Hi Littlespark, O'h YES I have SO many photographs....and YES I thought he was going to be cheaper than the 60 grand estimate given by one sparks...should have guessed he was useless when he didn't understand my three phase electric and 38 solar panels!!! Not enough power Captain for two ovens, two warming drawers, dishwasher, and hob ...he actually said "I didn't know you were going to have a hob.....WTF!

To be fair, it is important to get the specification down at the beginning of a job.
I would be more than a little peed off if all of a sudden an inductive or other powerful hob was added to the job, it may well screw up many of the calculations i had done for cables, boards, phase balancing etc.

 

[OMGAMISTUFFED]

To be fair, it is important to get the specification down at the beginning of a job.
I would be more than a little peed off if all of a sudden an inductive or other powerful hob was added to the job, it may well screw up many of the calculations i had done for cables, boards, phase balancing etc.

Yes I can understand that but he had all the spec because the kitchen had been bought and was in storage. I think he just couldn't be bothered to read anything, he's lazy, has no pride in his work and self centred...other than that if I don't seem him again for the next twenty years...(I shall be 93)..that's fine by me!

 

[DPG]

Yes I can understand that but he had all the spec because the kitchen had been bought and was in storage. I think he just couldn't be bothered to read anything, he's lazy, has no pride in his work and self centred...other than that if I don't seem him again for the next twenty years...(I shall be 93)..that's fine by me!

For someone you have known for 10 years, you perhaps didn't know him as well as you thought.

Let's hope this new guy is better.

 

[OMGAMISTUFFED]

For someone you have known for 10 years, you perhaps didn't know him as well as you thought.

Let's hope this new guy is better.

Absolutely, used to be a welding diver...knows his onions...well fuses etc....have great faith in him, we're all getting on a bit and have a lot of experience...but not with this whipper snapper unfortunately...hey you learn something new everyday!