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Loss of specialist skills and workers after Brexit

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    Loss of specialist skills and workers after Brexit

    Couple find cowboy builders had botched the GBP34,000 renovations and held alcohol-fuelled parties | Daily Mail Online

    Delia and Mick Cunningham, both 60, were left devastated after they returned home to find rogue workmen had not only botched their £34,000 renovations - but effectively moved in.

    The couple were stunned to discover two Polish labourers in their bedroom, all their food had been eaten as well as empty bottles of vodka lying around the kitchen.

    The couple had wanted to carry out large scale structural repairs so they could sell it up and move to Anglesey to be nearer their son.

    They were quoted £34,600 to replace the brickwork, fit new foundations, replace the guttering and insulate the walls by specialist firm Marek KBI Limited.
    Sometimes trade barriers are a good thing.

    #2
    Good to see you continuing the Mail’s campaign of highlighting that immigrants are the cause of everyone’s problems.

    Funny how they/you don’t mention the nationality of the second outfit that botched it up though.

    Comment


      #3
      Is the fact that they're Polish relevant? There are plenty of British cowboy builders out there too. It says the couple 'looked around online' to find a builder. So my guess is that these guys weren't personally recommended. I would also guess that the job they wanted done should have cost £50k, but they thought they were getting a bargain. If I was spending £34k on a renovation project, I would at the very least be doing some background checks and wanting examples of their previous work. I certainly wouldn't be going on holiday and leaving them to it. Not saying they deserved it but they should probably take some responsibility..
      If you don't have anything nice to say, say it sarcastically

      Comment


        #4
        Alcohol fuelled party???

        Comment


          #5
          Originally posted by KinooOrKinog View Post
          Is the fact that they're Polish relevant? There are plenty of British cowboy builders out there too. It says the couple 'looked around online' to find a builder. So my guess is that these guys weren't personally recommended. I would also guess that the job they wanted done should have cost £50k, but they thought they were getting a bargain. If I was spending £34k on a renovation project, I would at the very least be doing some background checks and wanting examples of their previous work. I certainly wouldn't be going on holiday and leaving them to it. Not saying they deserved it but they should probably take some responsibility..
          Quite. You can't miss all the adverts for trusted traders and check-a-trades etc. Anyone looking to get that sort of work done on the cheap should take all the responsibility...
          His heart is in the right place - shame we can't say the same about his brain...

          Comment


            #6
            Originally posted by Mordac View Post
            Quite. You can't miss all the adverts for trusted traders and check-a-trades etc. Anyone looking to get that sort of work done on the cheap should take all the responsibility...
            Absolute rubbish. Just because a builder is registered with trust a trader, checka trades, mybuilder.com means absolutely nothing, other than the builder has paid a small fee to register on that particular site.
            I employed builder to build an 'L' shaped double car port/double garage, 15 months later (approx. 10 months after kicking 1st builder offsite) we are suing him for £30K (we paid him (26K) to repair/make structurally good the abortion he tried to build. He didn't reach wall plate level before he was sacked. Then he tried to sue us for loss of earnings under a staged payment contract. That first builder was on all of the trades site I mentioned. They all claim that each builder has been checked and has appropriate insurance. What a load of b*ll*cks those claims are. Just because someone is registered on a web site does not mean they have a scooby doo what they are doing.

            After we sacked him we found his facebook page - I wish I looked him up earlier

            James Ferris | Facebook

            PS on his building co facebook page you can see pictures of my building which is exactly how not to build double skin block walls
            Last edited by The Dogs Bollocks; 30 August 2019, 11:56. Reason: additional information

            Comment


              #7
              Originally posted by The Dogs Bollocks View Post
              Absolute rubbish. Just because a builder is registered with trust a trader, checka trades, mybuilder.com means absolutely nothing, other than the builder has paid a small fee to register on that particular site.
              I employed builder to build an 'L' shaped double car port/double garage, 15 months later (approx. 10 months after kicking 1st builder offsite) we are suing him for £30K (we paid him (26K) to repair/make structurally good the abortion he tried to build. He didn't reach wall plate level before he was sacked. Then he tried to sue us for loss of earnings under a staged payment contract. That first builder was on all of the trades site I mentioned. They all claim that each builder has been checked and has appropriate insurance. What a load of b*ll*cks those claims are. Just because someone is registered on a web site does not mean they have a scooby doo what they are doing.

              After we sacked him we found his facebook page - I wish I looked him up earlier

              James Ferris | Facebook

              PS on his building co facebook page you can see pictures of my building which is exactly how not to build double skin block walls

              Did you get the money to pay for it direct from your personal bank, Halifax?
              Did you not consider asking in your neighbourhood for recommendations?
              …Maybe we ain’t that young anymore

              Comment


                #8
                Originally posted by The Dogs Bollocks View Post
                Absolute rubbish. Just because a builder is registered with trust a trader, checka trades, mybuilder.com means absolutely nothing, other than the builder has paid a small fee to register on that particular site.
                I employed builder to build an 'L' shaped double car port/double garage, 15 months later (approx. 10 months after kicking 1st builder offsite) we are suing him for £30K (we paid him (26K) to repair/make structurally good the abortion he tried to build. He didn't reach wall plate level before he was sacked. Then he tried to sue us for loss of earnings under a staged payment contract. That first builder was on all of the trades site I mentioned. They all claim that each builder has been checked and has appropriate insurance. What a load of b*ll*cks those claims are. Just because someone is registered on a web site does not mean they have a scooby doo what they are doing.

                After we sacked him we found his facebook page - I wish I looked him up earlier

                James Ferris | Facebook

                PS on his building co facebook page you can see pictures of my building which is exactly how not to build double skin block walls
                Just because they have insurance doesn't mean they're any good. Surely the whole point of those websites is the feedback from previous customers? Did the guy you used have good previous feedback? Strange that you didn't look at their Facebook page before engaging them. That's one of the first things I do if I'm using a business for the first time..

                Sent from my EVA-L09 using Contractor UK Forum mobile app
                If you don't have anything nice to say, say it sarcastically

                Comment


                  #9
                  I've always found fat, ugly, heavily tattooed builders that look thick as pigtulip are best avoided.

                  Comment


                    #10
                    Originally posted by meridian View Post
                    Good to see you continuing the Mail’s campaign of highlighting that immigrants are the cause of everyone’s problems.

                    Funny how they/you don’t mention the nationality of the second outfit that botched it up though.
                    Triggered much?

                    Comment

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