Here is the work done, any idea what this should have cost?
6 men working 2 hours overtime. No scaffolding, just up on roof with ladder.
[broken link removed]
Whizzbang I'm so sorry your parents have been taken in by these guys they are absolute rogues!
I recently watched a programme on ITV about this type of scam that was/is going on in the U.K. where they take advantage of the elderly by telling them their roof needs tiles replacing etc. They end up causing more damage to the roof in the long term!
In your parents case they are lucky they have you looking out for them, many others just pay up none the wiser until their roof starts to leak!
You must inform the police immediately, if nothing else it may save some other poor soul being taken in by these scounderls
I'd talk to the police in any case - see what they say.
Personally, I wouldn't offer them anything (apart maybe from a threat of notifiying appropriate tax and H&S authorities). How do you know the work done was worth anything? that it might cause more problems than it fixed?
They're obviously scam artists: no reputable company would work like this (no quote, everything cash, no scaffolding for roof work, almost certainly no insurance).
Like most people reading this, I'd be extremly angry: my parents are a similar age and are similarly vulnerable.
This post may be of interest. It is part of the key post on roofing.
I'm sure the Revenue Commissioners would also be interested in the cash payment. Did your parents obtain the registration number of the van.
Are these people doing some work for the building development across the road and would the legitimate builder be interested in their antics or are they the actual builders?
I notice you mention that yesterday the cheque would be cancelled and that to-day, Saturday, it is cancelled. How did you arrange this so speedily? Don't forget that if they have possession of the cheque they can take it to the originating branch and cash it first thing Monday morning. I have seen cases of this in the past where people thought they had managed to catch it in time but no such luck.
They should not get anything more than the €500 cash that they have already received.
You need to:
1. Contact the local gardai in case there are other cases in the area and as you want these guys to stay away from your parents and any other dealings should be done thru yourself.
2. Speak to the foreman you mention above and sound him out mentioning that you have contacted the relevant authorities as you feel your parents were taken advantage of. They are, after all, his sub-contractors.
3. Are the neighbours aware of the situation?
Check was cancelled by calling 24 hour banking and talking to a real person. They said it was all ok so hopefully we are safe from that point of view. I'll have him ring his branch on Monday and double check.
1. Yep, they asked to talk to the parents but I nipped that in the bud. My Dad knows to tell them to talk to me if they get in touch. I'm reluctant to go to the garda just yet as I want them gone, but it is a possibility
Thanks for the itnerest, we have not heard anything from them since the phone call. As it turns out my dad went around to the building site and the foreman said he had never heard of them. The next day the foreman called over to check if everything was alright as he thought he had seen a van drive around to my folks house. I think he was also coming to take them on for claiming they had been part of his site. Its good to know that he was keeping an eye out like that.
I think we are going to leave everything as it is and hope they don't show up again. I think it is unlikely at this stage. If I see the van near any of our neighbours houses I'll be sure to give them a heads up.
Good to hear that they have gone away. Is the roof ok though? Wouldn't trust them to have left it in proper order.
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