T.C.
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HI Ladies. I am about to scream I am so mad!! Here is my problem; last fall we had a man come out to fix our concrete path that leads up to our front door. The concrete had started to fall apart, apparently due to incorect mixing or something at the time of it being made. SO this man came, fixed the pits and holes and resealed everything saying he backed the materials so much that he guaranteed it for life! So cut to this spring once the snow had melted and I noticed that it has happened again. The concrete is peeling and cracking off. I called the man and he said he would fix it but it needed to be warmer. So I call him at the start of summer and I have been calling him ever since. I have left over 20 messages and call at least once a day but have no answer. Today I got so mad that I just kept calling and calling and finally someone answered saying that they had just gotten the number and had no idea who I was looking for.
So now I want to know if there is anything I can legally do to track him down and have this fixed? We spent a fair amount of money with this guy and now to still have the same problem with the concrete again makes me sick to my stomach. I am so mad!!
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sorry to say but with this economy alot of people are out of work. This guy sounds like he was a good sales man. I dont think there is legally anything you can do if he is out of business. I would try to first track him down. If you find his business (maybe under another name??) then consult an attorney. However in my experience, unless you paid over 10k for your sidewalk, the attorney fees and hassle is not worth it. I would take that money and go with a reputable company to get it fixed.
Hi B.. I would first contact the better business bureau and then the indychannel.com. They expose people like this and I have seen them get results. I am sorry this has happened to you. I hope you can get some results!!
I am so sorry that you are going through this! Have you tried contacting the Better Business Beaureu(sp)? The should be able to help you.
My family and I just moved here from England in June. Where abouts is your husband from?
M.
If you have his name and number you can do a reverse search and if you have a written agreement and guarantee you can go after him and have the courts track him down. It can get expensive to do this unless you use small claims court but you would need a current address to have papers served. Have you tried to Goggle him?
Hi B. -
FIRST, contact your state's Attorney General's office. It's their job to hunt down scammers like that and prosecute them. You never know how many other people may have complained about him, but they will.
Contacting the BBB doesn't necessarily hurt, but you have to pay to belong to it, so it doesn't have the teeth that your AG's office has.
And yes, I would recommend using Angie's List, primarily to find recommended, qualified tradesmen. However, Angie's List can only put him in their "Penalty Box" if he's a member of the AL community - my bet is that he's not.
Good luck!
S.
Have you filed a complaint with BBB. Also if you are hear in the columbus area try 6 on your side. If not check your local news networks for a consumer complaint hotline.
Unfortunately, I'm not sure there's much that can be done if you can't find him. Did you sign a contract before you hired him? Is his address on any documents you have relating to the sidewalk repair? Do you have any other phone number for him? Is he listed in the phone book - is there an address listed? Was he listed with the Better Business Bureau?
Once you figure all that out, find a lawyer to see if you have any options. If this guy was listed with the Better Business Bureau you can file a complaint with them. I'm betting though that he probably isn't listed with them.
FOr what it's worth - and good luck!
Get a subscription to Angie's List and report them. It's On-line and easy. You will have to pay for it. If he's not going to do the work, look-up someone reputable who will.
Also, report them to your local chamber of commerce. The worst thing anyone could have right now is bad word-of-mouth attention.
Who knows - perhaps something has happened to him that you're not aware of. If not, you have many vehicles to bring attention to it, but you may not have much legal recourse if you didn't get an explicit contract signed.
I can tell you that whoever answered that phone is lying to you. In the US, they do not give out an old phone number to a new person for a few years time.
If you have an address, I would take a drive over there (with your husband of course)and speak to him in person. Do you have anything in writing that states the warranty of your concrete?
I would contact the Better Business Bureau and file a complaint. I would even consider calling one of the local news stations. They have a "call for action" type of newsman that helps people out when they have been swindled by a business.
Good luck!
Contact the BBB (Better Business Bureau). I wish I would have done that a few years ago when we were having troubles with a contractor. It took me 4 months to get our fireplace insert and tile fixed properly. I know your frustration!
Are you sure the people just got that number or they are just trying to get you to leave them alone?
Good Luck!
You need to have a friend call his number & pretend to be a new customer. This guy might have caller ID and be avoiding you. Have a friend set up an estimate at their house and show up while he is there! I don't know if you want to be that confrontational or not....but I would!
Call a lawyer and see if you can get a free consultaion. This might be a small claims case, and I don't think you need a lawyer for small claims. Go down to the court house and file papers to sue him, the court might be able to track him down. Good luck. Sheisters who scam hard working people out of their money should be sued and held accountable!
