August 10th 2023.
Deborah Wilson, a 61 year old special needs teacher from Washington, Tyne and Wear, was left feeling duped after hiring a father and son duo to build decking in her garden. She had paid a total of £2800 for the work, but was left with a half-finished job. To add insult to injury, the builders blocked Deborah on Facebook, leaving her unable to contact them for a refund.
“I’ve thrown so much money down the drain,” Deborah said. “These people took the opportunity to scam me because they could – because they know I’m a single woman who works away.”
The pair had been scheduled to start work on July 7th, but when they arrived Deborah noticed that the materials they brought looked used. She said, “They brought a bucket of old screws – they looked like they’d been taken from other jobs. They were covered in plaster! And the plaster they used was really heavy-duty. But I didn’t say anything, and let them get on with it for about five hours.”
The duo had been expected to return the next day, but only one of them showed up and worked for a few hours before departing. Deborah said she sent multiple messages between July 10th and 17th but didn’t receive a response until the 18th, when the builder finally said they would “sort something out” – but never did.
Deborah is now unable to contact the builders, as screenshots show that the “person is unavailable on Messenger” – meaning the account has been deleted or Deborah is blocked. She now fears she won’t get her money back and is left with a half-finished decking job.
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