ProMan

I signed off two devis with company in France in January, and another recently. On all three I paid a 30% deposit for the work, totalling 10,000 euros. Since then this company (electrician and plumbing company) has done some other work totalling 60,000 for which they've been paid. I've now asked them to complete the other work for which they have these 30% deposits, but it seems they think they can not only hold onto my money and do the job whenever suits them, but they even believe that they can charge me the rest of the value of those devis (another 20k) without having to actually do the work. I know French laws are essentially designed to let French companies sit on their backsides for most of the year (when it's not August holiday it's generally a bank holiday), but surely there is some way to make time 'of the essence' and demand that they do the work at a time that suits me or refund my money ? Otherwise I'll set up my own company and spend 5 years collecting 30% deposits without doing any work. The worst thing is I can't get anyone else to do the work because these people are contracted to do it, and it's holding up completion of my work by Christmas.

I signed off two devis with company in France in January, and another recently. On all three I paid a 30% deposit for the work, totalling 10,000 euros. Since then this company (electrician and plumbing company) has done some other work totalling 60,000 for which they've been paid. I've now asked them to complete the other work for which they have these 30% deposits, but it seems they think they can not only hold onto my money and do the job whenever suits them, but they even believe that they can charge me the rest of the value of those devis (another 20k) without having to actually do the work. I know French laws are essentially designed to let French companies sit on their backsides for most of the year (when it's not August holiday it's generally a bank holiday), but surely there is some way to make time 'of the essence' and demand that they do the work at a time that suits me or refund my money ? Otherwise I'll set up my own company and spend 5 years collecting 30% deposits without doing any work. The worst thing is I can't get anyone else to do the work because these people are contracted to do it, and it's holding up completion of my work by Christmas.