I got my money back!

I’ve been struggling to sort out a damp problem in the basement floor of my house ever since I bought the place five years ago.  It’s still not sorted, but I did manage to get some money back from the people who were meant to have fixed it.

Buying a Victorian house can come with a host of problems, especially if you buy something that an estate agent would describe as 'having potential'.  The walls aren’t straight, the sash windows shake and insulation usually isn’t quite up to scratch.  I could live with these problems, for a while, but I had to sort out the damp before I could start any proper decorating.

The company I used was recommended to me by my estate agents.  I trusted them, and, at the time, wasn’t too bothered about looking around – I was just excited at the prospect of owning a house.  This was a big mistake.

Sorting out damp is a massive and messy operation.  Layers of plaster had to be hacked off before the wall could dry and be injected with anti-damp chemicals.  It was disruptive, and the process took a few weeks to complete.

I had a guarantee with the company for 25 years, but was not happy when I noticed the damp coming back.  A year later, I had to go through the process again…and again…and again.  After the fourth time I decided that I needed someone else to do it.

I called the company and, very politely, said I did not think they were able to fix my problem and that I would like my money back.  They initially suggested they give it another go but decided it was probably not worth it and offered a refund.

The initial job cost me around £2,000, and it covered an entire floor.  The area that still had damp was about a quarter of the area they initially worked on so we negotiated a settlement of £500.

It’s not a large amount, but I felt a huge sense of satisfaction for getting some money back.  I didn’t really expect them to back down, and thought I would have to go to a small claims court.  Perhaps now I can start on the kitchen that I’ve been planning for the past five years.

Have you ever had to deal with dodgy workmen?  Have you paid for a job which wasn’t quite up to scratch?  Perhaps you’ve managed to get them to pay you back?

Comments

[Samuel Hon]

I've had to deal with two lots of 'sub-standard' builders in the past year.

Having recently moved into a newly refurbished Victorian flat, we've had lots of cracks appearing where we understand the plaster wasnt left to dry long enough.

Last year, the flat next door was purchased for refurbishment. Somehow, the builder pulled a hole through our ajoining internal wall! This took them over four months to fill which frankly is disgusting. As it stands, the plaster wasnt finished properly and the paint doesnt match but I've given up hope with the builder.