Advice, plumbing?
 

Hi guys,

To cut a long story short, me and the mrs purchased a house a month ago and paid a plumber to install a central heating system / combi boiler, we were recommended the plumber by someone in the family who now wants nothing further to do with the situation as its gone wrong.

Basically the plumber did 75% of the work over a weekend but due to delays with other work we had to put him off work a week to finish the rest of the work and he agreed to come back and finish off, sadly we paid him the full amount and now he is refusing to come back and finish the work.

He never completed the registration form for the boiler so we have no warranty for it, we have no gas safe certificate, no gas to the kitchen and no water in the bathroom. Also there appears to be a small gas leak in the garage which has resulted in us shutting off the main supply

The so called family member recommended him as he works with him on a regular basis but now he is refusing to help us.

To top it all off, all i have is a mobile number for the plumber and he refuses to pick up

Any idea on the way forward?

Re: Advice, plumbing?
 

If he's registered as GasSafe, phone them up and complain about one of their registrants.

It sounds odd tho - I can't help thinking that there must be more to the story unless he's a complete cowboy but if that were the case, why would your familiy member have recommended him?

Re: Advice, plumbing?
 

Im trying to figure this out too, the family member is basically saying "its between you and him, im not getting involved in any disputes....."
Maybe because they work for a firm and this job was a cash deal but he turned up in the works van, maybe the family member doesn't want to get in trouble?

Re: Advice, plumbing?
 

Listen, firstly, I can't stress this enough, never never never pay in full until the job is completed to your approval and they have done what they said they would do.

Why has he walked? It's rare for tradesmen to just walk unless theres been a dispute unless they are con artists which it doesn't sound like he is.

Have you got his full name? Gas safe can identify him from his full name ( if he's registered with them that is).

Text him as well as call him and give him a reasonable date to finish work then advise him trading standards and gas safe will be informed.

If he isn't gas safe and he's claiming he is then he's in the poo poo.

Finally, I only recommend people who I've got history with and I can trust, it makes me look bad, your family member should take some responsibility IMO.

Re: Advice, plumbing?
 

This is the only time I have ever paid before the job was complete and I only did this on the basis of that he works with the family member.

He has clearly lied to us, he said he had run gas to the kitchen and capped it off above the ceiling for us awaiting the kitchen plans so he could decide how best to run it to the cooker, however on inspection the the loft he has not run any gas at all. We have also found out he hasn't treated the water for the central heating and the boiler also keeps loosing water pressure along with lots of other niggles.
Oh then there is the smell of gas in the garage.

All i have is a first name and a mobile number and details of the company he works for.

There has been no disputers or anything and like all trades people he has been treated well with infinite cups of tea and biscuits

Re: Advice, plumbing?
 

Is the company he works for more than a one-man-band? If so, they won't want their employee to be reported to GasSafe.
But I'd not mess about at this stage - just phone GasSafe, tell them the work has not been completed and you can smell gas. They will investigate.

Years ago, I wrote the computer system to Corgi (the precursor to GasSafe and quite possibly the same lot, just renamed with different procedures). Whilst they would not recommend tradesmen, they would say whether there were complaints about a tradesman if people phoned them. That may have changed with the introduction of privacy laws tho.

Re: Advice, plumbing?
 

You've given him plenty of chances. Give him an ultimatum, do the work or the law and his employer is involved - I wouldn't be surprised if he's used some of his employer's gear to do the job.

Re: Advice, plumbing?
 

Thanks for the advice guys, I have give him an ultimatum and he says he is coming back on Saturday to finish the job off. Fingers crossed

Lesson learnt:(

Re: Advice, plumbing?
 

Well he turned up today, ran half of the copper for the cooker and disappeared shortly after being asked for his gas safe registration number, I have reported him to gas safe so fingers crossed they will catch up with him.
Sadly my mum and mrs wouldn't let me go over and confront him so I had to stay at home as I was in the mood for giving him a slap

Strangely I cant seem to find anything about him on the gas safe website, so be warned, if the following plumber turns up at your house don't let him in;
Nick Collins
07411 364 622
He drives a silver Vauxhall Astra - reg W885 VNK
Manchester/Liverpool area

Sadly these are these are the only details I have for him

Report him to that program on the tv aswell! Cowboy builders or whatever it is


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