Some advice please.

[Baby Huey]

We've had some internal wooden doors fitted today, with frames. The fitters have done a major bodge job on it, but I wasn't in while they were here, and my O/H has paid them in cash.

The back story: The chap comes to fit the doors yesterday, checks the doors that had been delivered the previous day. He says one is damaged (a chip in the frame, I didn't see it) and that he would sort us out with a new door.

He turns up again today with a new door ,which is odd given that it's taken him about 3 months to get around to fitting the doors, and the doors had to be ordered.

I can only assume that he has sawn off the damaged top section of door and filled the gap at the top of the frame with a couple of pieces of timber.

The end result is a new frame that is about 3 times thicker at the top than it is at the the sides, and doors with much thicker frame at the bottom than the top.

It looks feckin awful. I have done well not to swear.

I haven't been to see the guy, who owns a fairly long established local door shop, yet.

Can I insist on him doing anything to remedy this as he has already been paid?

Where do I stand?

Thanks in advance

[TOPTON]

certainly does sound like a bodge job. If I understand you correctly, he has built the frame down to suit a smaller size door after he cut the damaged section off the top. If they were standard size internal doors, they should be 30"x78"(in old money).
It sounds to me like he has damaged the door top and tried very badly to cover up his total ballsup.
I would be straight round to see him, politely pointing out this horrible disgusting bodge he has done. Insisting he orders another door to replace the one he cut short, even if it means waiting for delivery again.

ETA he could also of ordered the wrong size door to start with and has done this bodge to try and cover this up. I have seen loads of apprentices in the past trying to do the same type of coverup

Edited by TOPTON on Friday 12th March 17:23

[therealpigdog]

Baby Huey said:

I wasn't in while they were here, and my O/H has paid them in cash.

I feel your pain. Probably easier to make the O/H pay for a new door than a rogue tradesman!

You can chase him to rectify the poor workmanship, but he will almost certainly say that your O/H was happy at the time and accepted the job as done - cue the fact that she paid him. Morally not a defence for poor workmanship - but does weaken your position somewhat. Go and see him and see what he says. How much are we talking here? Is it worth pursuing should he dig his heels in?

[Baby Huey]

We spent about £800 on the doors, it's a double set fitted the kitchen and the conservatory.

He has built the frame down to meet the newly shrunken doors.

[Baby Huey]

Off to see the guy soon, anymore advice on the situation?

[Simpo Two]

It seems as if he went from supplying the 'short' door to fitting it before you could see it and stop him. No doubt he damaged it himself (or he'd have got a replacement one from the supplier) so he went for the bodge to save him time and money.

I think he should have owned up and at least asked you if you'd be happy with the short door fitted. Instead, he just went and did it and hoped you wouldn't notice - and of course he's been paid so he doesn't have much incentive to care.

I think all you can do is tell him that your not satisfied with it, that it's not what you agreed, that because it's visually different the should have consulted with you before proceeding and that you don't accept it. Hopefully he'll just be very grumpy but get on and do it and take the hit. Of course he may just say bks and stump off - which isn't what you want because then you'll be stuck with a short door you don't like. So I'd be ready to meet him halfway, if you have to, with a small amount of cash to help get a new door. You shouldn't have to, but it may be a last resort way to the settlement you want.

[Baby Huey]

We shall see.

Would the small claims court work with a situation like this?

[Simpo Two]

Baby Huey said:

Would the small claims court work with a situation like this?

For the price of a door, it's not worth it. I think an online claim is £30 and a proper one £65, and if he defends it (just to be awkward) you'll be in for another £75 hearing fee, and even if you win, you'll only get those costs included in the judgement if it's clear the other party has been a complete cock. And it will take months.

[Baby Huey]

Thanks for the info.

The door guy is coming round to take a look in the week.

[King Herald]

Baby Huey said:

Thanks for the info.

The door guy is coming round to take a look in the week.

I think a wry look on your face, tell him politely: "I'm afraid that this is just not acceptable. We paid a lot for the doors because we want it to look nice, and it simply looks a mess"

Then say no more, don't waffle or carry on arguing your point, simply state your case and leave him to take it from there.

The mention of Small Claims Court would be the next logical stop if he just refuses to budge.

I don't think the wife paying for it makes much difference, as we all know women know nothing about DIY.

[Baby Huey]

It's not the first time it's happened.

She once paid a plasterer for a less than perfect job. The bathroom looked like it had been strafed by machine gun fire.