Hello - I have an insurance claim question for bad plastering

[KarenG]

Morning all,
I have a dilemma that I wondered if you could give me some advice on...

I had a room plastered (guy was recommended to me by a friend), the room is approx 12' x 11' and I paid £550 for the work.

It was only once the walls had been painted by my decorator that I noticed how bad the job was. I called the plasterer back and he told me he'd rectify by using easy fill (?). I asked him just to rectify the ceiling as by the time he turned up to have a look, the decorator had finished (including wallpapering one of the walls). The plasterer promised me there'd be no marks on the wallpaper as he'd cover it while sorting out the ceiling. However, there is not a single piece of wallpaper hung that isn't covered in paint or filler.

I have asked the plasterer not to come back to finish today as I would be getting the whole room re-skimmed and then decorated again, and I would be charging him for the work, as well as expect a refund of my £550.

He told me to send him a quote and he'd pass onto his insurance company.

My question is - would he be making a claim agains his insurance company himself, or would I do that? How do I know he's even insured? I've asked him for his company name / VAT registration, but he's just said he's not VAT registered (which is fine) and that his name is on the invoice he gave me.

Not sure what to do next, so any help would be much appreciated.

Happy to send pictures. Everyone that's seen the plastering work has said it's the worst they've seen.

Thanks!

 

[Vincey]

Flipping heck man

 

[KarenG]

Flipping heck man

??

 

[zolco]

Morning all,
I have a dilemma that I wondered if you could give me some advice on...

I had a room plastered (guy was recommended to me by a friend), the room is approx 12' x 11' and I paid £550 for the work.

It was only once the walls had been painted by my decorator that I noticed how bad the job was. I called the plasterer back and he told me he'd rectify by using easy fill (?). I asked him just to rectify the ceiling as by the time he turned up to have a look, the decorator had finished (including wallpapering one of the walls). The plasterer promised me there'd be no marks on the wallpaper as he'd cover it while sorting out the ceiling. However, there is not a single piece of wallpaper hung that isn't covered in paint or filler.

I have asked the plasterer not to come back to finish today as I would be getting the whole room re-skimmed and then decorated again, and I would be charging him for the work, as well as expect a refund of my £550.

He told me to send him a quote and he'd pass onto his insurance company.

My question is - would he be making a claim agains his insurance company himself, or would I do that? How do I know he's even insured? I've asked him for his company name / VAT registration, but he's just said he's not VAT registered (which is fine) and that his name is on the invoice he gave me.

Not sure what to do next, so any help would be much appreciated.

Happy to send pictures. Everyone that's seen the plastering work has said it's the worst they've seen.

Thanks!

If you could post some pictures that would be great as we love pictures! You might consider contacting trading standards for a start, might even worth to ring your own insurance company and they will be able to give you some advice. Highly unlikely that it will be a quick process and until anyone surveyed the job you can't do too much to it as the evidence is on the walls/ceiling. Let us know how it pans out as we can learn from it too.

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[Pug]

Sorry you've had a bad experience. Doesn't sound very ligit to me. My public liability covers accidental damage to my customers property and contents but certainly doesn't cover me for shoddy workmanship.

 

[KarenG]

 

[KarenG]

Sorry you've had a bad experience. Doesn't sound very ligit to me. My public liability covers accidental damage to my customers property and contents but certainly doesn't cover me for shoddy workmanship.

Thank you,
We have had major extension / renovation works on our house and this is the last room to be done! Up until now, all of the tradesmen I've dealt with have been brilliant.

 

[KarenG]

If you could post some pictures that would be great as we love pictures! You might consider contacting trading standards for a start, might even worth to ring your own insurance company and they will be able to give you some advice. Highly unlikely that it will be a quick process and until anyone surveyed the job you can't do too much to it as the evidence is on the walls/ceiling. Let us know how it pans out as we can learn from it too.

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Pictures on their way! They're waiting for moderator approval.

 

[Danny]

thats pure shite... why did you not use the plasterer you had for the extension?

 

[KarenG]

It would be his insurance company

Danny would the plasterer make the claim himself? Would the insurance company need to come and have a look? I have another plasterer coming to quote me to redo later today.

 

[KarenG]

thats pure shite... why did you not use the plasterer you had for the extension?

They weren't available, and I had my decorator, carpet, furniture etc lined up.
Am I within my rights to ask for my money back and for him to pay for the rework?

 

[Badgerrrrrrr]

With Danny on that one, why didn't you use the guy who plastered your exstention. But sorry to say , yes you had a bad job done there by looking at the pics, as for money back etc.......I don't think your going to see that again, good luck.

 

[zolco]

That doesn't look good to be honest. I'm sure it's not a good timing before the festivities, but if I were you I'd just shell out for another plasterer to get things moving then try to recover costs from the first one, I'm sure citizens advice bureau will gladly help you with this. Don't even think that indemnity insurance would cover it.

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[plasterboardeater]

Very poor, cowboy he probably gets away with all time the scumbag

 

[Danny]

Danny would the plasterer make the claim himself? Would the insurance company need to come and have a look? I have another plasterer coming to quote me to redo later today.

I am assuming they would claim that they damaged your property not that he is rubbish at doing the job

 

[Danny]

They weren't available, and I had my decorator, carpet, furniture etc lined up.
Am I within my rights to ask for my money back and for him to pay for the rework?

you can ask all you like but I doubt they will come back

 

[stuart23]

Can't see any insurance company paying out for the shoddy work tbh. He could claim his public liability for the wallpaper getting damaged but that would be for penny's in the grand scheme of things. The thing is he should also be paying for the repainting as well as the plastering but as said I doubt you'll see it. Good luck anyway

 

[KarenG]

With Danny on that one, why didn't you use the guy who plastered your exstention. But sorry to say , yes you had a bad job done there by looking at the pics, as for money back etc.......I don't think your going to see that again, good luck.

Hindsight is a wonderful thing and all that. If I had been more organised, I would have managed to get the plasterers that did the extension, but unfortunately I'm not! I will wait and see if I can get some kind of recompense...

 

[zolco]

They weren't available, and I had my decorator, carpet, furniture etc lined up.
Am I within my rights to ask for my money back and for him to pay for the rework?

You got every right to ask for your money back, is he willing at all to pay you?

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[KarenG]

You got every right to ask for your money back, is he willing at all to pay you?

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I text him this morning "I'm going to try and find someone else to replaster and decorate, and will send you the bill for what it's cost me to rectify"
He replied with "I will pass your details on to my insurance company with the photos I have taken of the job I will wait to hear from you with your quote".

 

[zolco]

I text him this morning "I'm going to try and find someone else to replaster and decorate, and will send you the bill for what it's cost me to rectify"
He replied with "I will pass your details on to my insurance company with the photos I have taken of the job I will wait to hear from you with your quote".

Well you just have to crack on then and hope for the best

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[jamesthefirst]

Did he try to skim dri coat the same day?!

 

[KarenG]

Did he try to skim dri coat the same day?!

Possibly... He was with me 2 1/2 days. One day for the ceiling, one day for all the walls except the window / radiator wall, and half day for the window / radiator wall

 

[Dr.B]

Sound like you have had a bad plasterer and a bad painter.
Sometimes a good painter will cover a bad plasterers work (even though there should be no need).
I'd ask the plasterer for a refund first.
The difficulty is you have paid in full and not inspected his work until the painter has brought it to your attention.

 

[jamesthefirst]

Agree Deri the painter should have refused to go over the work. Trouble is it messes up his schedule too.

 

[KarenG]

Sound like you have had a bad plasterer and a bad painter.
Sometimes a good painter will cover a bad plasterers work (even though there should be no need).
I'd ask the plasterer for a refund first.
The difficulty is you have paid in full and not inspected his work until the painter has brought it to your attention.

My painter has a 6 month waiting list. He tried to fill a few bits but then said it was so bad, he couldn't do anything with it. As jamesthefirst said, it messes the decorator's schedule up, as he's now on holiday for 3 weeks and then booked up until April 2017. I have carpet being fitted on Monday and furniture arriving from next Wednesday. If the plasterer had done a good job in the first place, I'd have been ok!

 

[Vincey]

??

Total mess of a situation,tbh it's a waste of time coming on here to get confirmation to back up your version of a this sorry episode ,I've been warned before for commenting on these kind of posts but imo they are absolute waste of time ,none of us know the full story ,with everyone's account,we ain't a court and shouldn't be judge and jury.

You are all at fault in my view ,you,the plasterer and the painter.

 

[Dr.B]

My painter has a 6 month waiting list. He tried to fill a few bits but then said it was so bad, he couldn't do anything with it. As jamesthefirst said, it messes the decorator's schedule up, as he's now on holiday for 3 weeks and then booked up until April 2017. I have carpet being fitted on Monday and furniture arriving from next Wednesday. If the plasterer had done a good job in the first place, I'd have been ok!

Yes you would have been OK if the plasterer had done a proper job as he should have.
The point I am trying to make is that you should have inspected his work before you payed him. If it really was that bad it would have been quite obvious.
He now has your money and he's long gone by the looks of it.

 

[malc]

karen, the chap who carried out your plastering not a plasterer!
check him out, see if he has any assets, if so you can take legal action against him to reclaim your total costs, reskim and redecorate. this action will take months.

if he has no assets, do not take legal action, give him a personal visit with a friend, tell him you must have your cash and other expenses now as you do not give to monkeys about his insurance co.

 

[gps]

I text him this morning "I'm going to try and find someone else to replaster and decorate, and will send you the bill for what it's cost me to rectify"
He replied with "I will pass your details on to my insurance company with the photos I have taken of the job I will wait to hear from you with your quote".

He is just playing you for time, he probably doesn't have any insurance anyway.

 

[gps]

karen, the chap who carried out your plastering not a plasterer!
check him out, see if he has any assets, if so you can take legal action against him to reclaim your total costs, reskim and redecorate. this action will take months.

if he has no assets, do not take legal action, give him a personal visit with a friend, tell him you must have your cash and other expenses now as you do not give to monkeys about his insurance co.

The trouble is with this kind of thing she would spend more money on legal fees and still end up with nought, wrong but just how it is.

 

[zolco]

The trouble is with this kind of thing she would spend more money on legal fees and still end up with nought, wrong but just how it is.

Small claims is like 65 quid she would see 485 back if she wins the case, but probably in dribs and drabs

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[gps]

Some friend btw.

 

[KarenG]

Total mess of a situation,tbh it's a waste of time coming on here to get confirmation to back up your version of a this sorry episode ,I've been warned before for commenting on these kind of posts but imo they are absolute waste of time ,none of us know the full story ,with everyone's account,we ain't a court and shouldn't be judge and jury.

You are all at fault in my view ,you,the plasterer and the painter.

Thanks, I wasn't asking for anyone to be judge or jury. My question was actually who makes the claim to the plasterer's insurance company?

 

[KarenG]

Yes you would have been OK if the plasterer had done a proper job as he should have.
The point I am trying to make is that you should have inspected his work before you payed him. If it really was that bad it would have been quite obvious.
He now has your money and he's long gone by the looks of it.

It's ok, I know him from my children's school, so it's not like I can't get hold of him...