The man, known only as Tinus, was referred to the woman through a website which helps people find the best professional for the job they need done.
“I’ve been robbed of two years’ savings,” the woman said.
While she battled to get hold of him on the number she had for him, “Tinus” did contact her quite a few times, offering one excuse after the next about why he wasn’t able to proceed with the work and, at one stage, even claiming he’d refunded the deposit.
“He even called at 11pm one night to offer up another excuse. At one stage he became quite threatening when I demanded he refund the money. He said he had, but, of course, he hadn’t.
“I feel like a fool and can’t believe how easily I fell into this trap. I don’t even know his surname. He seemed so legitimate and I trusted him,” the distraught homeowner said.
Kenny Smith, director at Tuckers Inc, said that from a civil law perspective, the woman can institute legal action against the handyman, requesting an order for the money to be refunded. The claimant may also be entitled to interest and legal costs.
“From a criminal law perspective, the aggrieved party may lay criminal charges against the contractor at the police,” Smith said.
According to Smith, a person who intends doing any building at their premises should perform the following tasks prior to entering into or paying anything to a contractor:
1. Get full details of the contractor (ID book, company documents, etc.).
2. Check that the contractor is registered with the National Home Builders Registration Council (NHBRC).
3. Ask for references (for previous and current projects) and scrutinise these to make sure they are reputable.
4. Check online platforms which rate customer service to see if the contractor has a negative listing.
5. Pull a company and/or credit report on the contractor to check for any negative listings.
6. Schedule payments based on progression of work.
7. Consider utilising a third party to hold the monies until the contract is complete.
8. Attempt to enter into a written building contract that has been checked by an attorney.
