Turfed Lawn
Grandad Al
Posts: 3
We have a smallish garden around 20 sq metres. We contacted a local landscaping company and had the gentleman round to give us a quote about getting it returffed. I told him I had no idea about gardening and explained that due to my disability I could no longer get out and sort the garden as it was overgrown and as I had new grandchildren I would love to get it turfed so the grandbabies had somewhere safe to play when they visited. He said he would do me a deal due to my situation and said they would strim it all down, rotovate the garden, lay 2 tonnes topsoil and lay the new turf. He said that he could do it for £600 and as that was what we had saved I agreed.
When they turned up a few days later they strimmed all the overgrown down and in the back of their van was a large white sack with top soil in which they started to throw here and there over the strimmed grass. I went out and said you quoted me to rotovate it first and he explained it didn't need rotovating. They then got the rolls of turf out the van and started laying them. They had around 25 rolls which I knew was nowhere near enough and he had to go out and get some off his mate as he didn't have enough. He came back with turf a slightl different colour green and continued to lay them. They didn't follow any layout plan just layer them as they come. When he quoted me he said it would all be done in 2 days and I thought that was great. They were finished in 4 hours. When it came to payment I said they didn't rotovate the garden so I'll take off money for not doing it and they refused this and said the quote was £600 and that's what they wanted. I gave them the money and said I would call them if I had any problems. A week later the turf was very patchy and they brought round a feed to give the garden and said it will look great once it had taken. The garden still looks patchy. Have we been ripped off? Should I call them back about the patchy turf? Your advice is badly needed. Thanks for reading.
Last edited: 05 September 2016 20:07:59
Posts
Sounds like poor service if you haven't got what was expected regarding the ground preparation and rotovation. I've never used a landscaping service so can't comment if your experience is normal.
I know new lawns need regular watering to stop them drying out until they establish. Were you advised to do this?
Hopefully another poster with experience can better advise than me.
Oh dear Grandad Al. I think you have been treated very shabbily indeed. Clearly the company have not done the work as stated so I think you should call them back to rectify things. I would take photographs of your 'lawn' and tell them if they don't put things right you wil be contacting Trading Standards. See link below. Make a written copy of all of your concerns and send a copy to the trader and a copy to Trading Standards if you do not get any joy. Do not accept their excuses.
https://www.gov.uk/find-local-trading-standards-office
Would I be right in thinking there was no written quote, payment was made in cash, and the only contact details you have is mobile phone number?
If any/all of the above apply I think you can kiss goodbye to the cash and any chance of getting them to come back and do the job properly.
If you do have full details, quote etc. ask them to sort the problem and if they don't, contact Trading Standards or possibly consider the small claims court.
The actual cost isn't excessive, if a good and thorough job had been done. It clearly hasn't.
If you have full details, quote etc. ask them to sort the problem and if they don't, contact Trading Standards or possibly consider the small claims court.
Thanks for all your advice. There was no written quote and payment was made in cash. Yes they advised us to water it day and night which was done religiously unless we had heavy rain. I will get onto them straight away and if I get no joy I will inform Trading Standards. Thankyou guys I will keep you informed.
Last edited: 06 September 2016 09:55:39
Don't know how these people sleep at night. Despicable. The fact that you said it was £600 and that was what you had saved, is very telling. He made the job fit what you had.
I hope you get some kind of resolution Grandad Al. If nothing else, and if they don't come back and sort it to your satisfaction (doubtful ) get some photos on here and you'll get some help with improving the grass so that it is usable for your family.
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
There is a lesson for all there and I also feel very angry that this should happen. I employ people to do work for me although my way is to make sure they are local. they have addresses in my local area that I can contact, make sure there are both land line and mobile numbers to contact, get a written quote on headed paper though I will pay cash for a job well done. This has resulted in work properly done to my requirements, a good tradesman does not object to you inspecting the work. Granddad has been ripped off, the clues were there to see and he should have acted, he will not see his money unless he goes through a long process and those kind of jobbers just vanish or go bankrupted. The cheapest quote is not always the best bargain is worth remembering.
Frank.
To me the saddest part is that Grandad Al has, for the most part, done things the right way. He has used a local contractor, not somebody who came knocking on the door offering to do work. I don't have a problem with payment being made in cash, but would have wanted a written quote and receipt for the work done.
Yes there were "clues to see", but I think it's fair to say that most of us are honest and therefore expect to be treated honestly. We're probably too trusting at times and there are those who prey on that.
Many years ago my mother needed her overgrown privet hedge cutting back. Sadly she did give the job to a 'door knocker'. She explained exactly what height she wanted it cut back to, but when they knocked for their money they had only taken it back about half way to the requested height. They tried to claim it would cost the same again to take it down to the required level. Mum had been taken in once and wasn't about to let it happen again. She told them she would only pay half and couldn't pay any more until her son got home. They asked when that would be and she told them about 5pm, she couldn't be completely certain because I worked for the police and might be delayed.
Oddly enough they never did come back for their money
Mum wasn't as daft as she looked, because although it was true that I worked for the police, it was in IT, and I didn't actually live at home any more.
What annoyed me though was that any time she did need the hedge cutting she used to phone me and I'd make the trip across to do it. On this occasion she thought she could avoid bothering me!