Leif - hold off paying. My mum had a totally useless bathroom fitter but she paid up and never pursued it, even though I encouraged her to get some redress on the worst 'professional' fitting I have ever seen.

I hope your claim is successful!

Don't get me started on CheckATrade, we reported the firm that messed up our bathrooms to them in the hope that they wouldn't register them, and surprise, surprise not long after they are on there and have glowing reports, many of which look very suspicious, i.e. the firm have written them themselves as you suspect.

The experts certainly don't come cheap, but it's probably your only hope, the thing going against you is that you have paid up and you have had the remeadial work done, which will then probably come down to your word and the word of your new firm) against theirs!

Hello Rats, the people concerned are in Basingstoke. I'm not aware of them having stuffed anyone else's home.

The first thing to be aware of that this is justice on the cheap and is conducted at speed.Generally the case will be concluded within thirty minutes .the judge will process 12 cases a day. It follows that you need to keep your presentation short .Try to condense your presentation to a single sheet of a4.

When I went to court, certainly wasn't conducted in thirty minutes, it took virtually all day, and each party had approx. 50 pages of evidence including photos etc.

Other than that, I tend to agree with Tony g, DO, make sure you are confident with what you write/say and don't embelish, this will help especially if the other party does, and listen very carefully to what they say, and challenge it WHEN your time to speak comes.

Leif, very interesting, I am also in Hampshire, but down the bottom end, not sure if the cowboy we employed has managed to get his horse to travel as far as Basingstoke!

Regards

AndyR

johncyprus - I could not agree more, they were totally un-interested when I reported a rogue trader to them!

In our area Trading Standards run a scheme called Buy with Confidence, at least that seems to be properly regulated and isn't just a money making scheme.

Yes, CheckATrade is no more than an advertising sheet, and they don't give a hoot if a trade stuffs up a job. I have found that CheckATrade will edit reviews by members of the public without their knowledge or consent, as they did with my review. They changed the "I have lost £3000" to "I have lost some money". Quite a difference. And the trade can post a response that is a pack of lies, which is exactly what happened in my case. Apparently they have refunded some money, and are seeking to resolve the issue. And I have refused to allow them to inspect the bathroom. Except that I have received no money, they ignore the surveys I commissioned, and I said they could send someone to inspect the bathroom. I provided documents to CheckATrade to prove that the trade had lied, and they did nothing. They really do not give a damn. It is totally biased in favour of the trade. It is a scam in my opinion, allegedly.

Anyway, an update.

It turns out that the cowboys were on the Buy With Confidence scheme. Exept that my complaint to Consumer Direct was not forwarded to Trading Standards . But after 5 months a Trading Standards officer offered to mediate. He examined my documents and agreed the work was sub-standard, and I was entitled to compensation. The cowboys are trying to weasel out of it, but he seems to be pushing them towards a resolution. The BWC scheme does not guarantee good work, but it does mean that if bad work is done, then TS will intervene, if they find out. Hopefully I will know in a couple of weeks whether or not legal action is required. I have sent the notice of legal action letter in preparation. If they do not comply, then they will be removed from the BWC scheme, which makes it better than CheckATrade which allows bodgers to rip off people and carry on. CheckATrade have seen the evidence that according to Trading Standards proves that the work was below the legally required standard, and yet they allow they to continue on the CheckATrade web site. Hi ho.

As said above, only ever employ a trade by personal recommendation from someone you trust, and not another trade, or an advertising web site.

Why should a successful claimant have topay bailff's fees for having property removed from the home of someone who has lost a judgement and can't/won't pay. He is the instigator of his own problems and he should have to pay.

I did have bailffs go in, ordered by a court, to give my non-payer 7 days notice of what they were going to come back and remove 7 days later. That certainly didn't cost me anything and proved a spur to settlement as well!.

My understanding is that the debtor has to pay the bailiff out of yheir own funds i.e. the claimant does not pay.