Procedure for chasing builders

[Lizfjr]

I paid 40% of the costs to my builder after signing a devis (English but with a SIRET which checks out) nearly 6 months ago.

Our start dates has been changed many times by them and contact with them difficult. I am now at the stage where I need to take matters a bit further and would welcome your advice. In particular is there any authority which quality assures SIRET registered companies, in other words, is the SIRET dependent upon companies being an honest and reliable?

Any suggestions would be very helpful.

Thanks,

Liz

[Alcazar]

Is the builder local? If so, a vist to the Mairie might get matters going.

First, is it possible to VISIT his place of work, or where he lives and ask him what's going on? If he can't supply a reasonable answer, I'd ask for my deposit back and try again!

Incidentally, why DID you part with 40% up front? I don't think this is the norm, cost of materials, or a part of that cost is what's SOMETIMES asked for. My plumber asked me for nowt up front, but 1/3 of the cost 1/3 the way through the job etc etc. AFAIK, most builders run an account at merchants etc, so only need to pay them when the work is done etc, unless they are ordering stupid times in advance of the job.

[Lizfjr]

Thanks for this. I paid a deposit because acceptance of the devis was subject to that. Yes, I have a good idea where this person will be on quite a few dates, so could do a personal visit and do have otherplans to contact him. However what I'm really asking is what is the status of someone with a SIRET and can SIRETs be removed from unreliable businesses?

 

Oh and by the way, yes, years of experience of builders in the UK has taught me never never to part with money up front. But this guy was very credible in the beginning.

 

[Will]

Unfortunately the SIRET number is merely an indication that a business is registered, and does not guarantee that the work will be to any particular standard, or that the owner or employees of the business will be honest and trustworthy. You could get in touch with the Chambre de Metiers for the département where the tradesman is based, but they often are more interested in defending and protecting their members rather than policing acceptable standards of business or workmanship.

Another unfortunate point is that because British customers have a reputation for non-payment or slow payment, or finding ways to get out of paying for work done, some tradesmen in France seem minded to ask for deposits before carrying out work for non-French clients.

I do hope you can persuade this person to get on with what he has been paid to do.

[Val_2]

You should also  put all your grievances down in a letter giving all the facts and asking when he intends to start etc and send by recorded delivery. If you should need to get involved legally, unless you can proove you have contacted this artisan and stated your case,you won't have a leg to stand on. A SIRET number as Will says only means the artisan has registered with the tax authorities and the Chambre de Metiers etc,there are some right rogues out there who should not be working here and unfortunately they have got SIRET numbers through being registered as another type of business.

[hoverfrog]

our devis for the latest work we have had done (and actually is still in progress!) had printed on it the fact that you were supposed to pay 30% up front when signing the devis and returning it. The builder pointed this out to us, and than said that we only needed to pay the amount just before he started the work (so he could buy the raw materials)

I think that this is therefore just a safeguard for them so that they are covered for expenditure before starting a job and still get out of it quids even if you decide to pull out after they have bought raw materials, whatever.

As with everything in Frnace though, it varies from region to region and then some...

hoverfrog