Buildmeup

Thank you for the advice everyone. I've sent a final demand letter a week ago and still have not received any response, i tried calling the client a couple times but there was no answer. It's unfortunate, but it looks like i will have no choice but to take it to small claims court. Again thank you for sharing

Hi, thanks for the clarification. I was simply looking to get some advice from similar experiences.

Hi everyone, I'm new here and was hoping to get some advice. I Took on a domestic renovation job after doing a smaller task (floor levelling) through a trade app. Client seemed nice, claimed she was “burned” by a previous builder and gave me the emotional backstory. I submitted a full quote after a site walkthrough, which she approved. Then came the games: Pushed for a 10% deposit instead of 40%, Walked me through a stripped-down version of the job, Then started adding extras left, right, and centre once I was already committed. I agreed to help with a few extra bits because I felt sorry for her — bad move. Despite delivering a large part of the work (painting, joinery prep, drainage digging, waste clearance, assembling units, skimming), she suddenly cancels the job because I reminded her about added labour and delays caused by missing materials (sink, tap, handles, paint). Now she’s ghosting the final invoice and posting on this forum about ongoing jobs and support — asking daft questions undermining trades advice. She blocked me on all communication channels, LinkedIn, twitter, etc.. Meanwhile, everything stalled because of her own lack of planning and third-party trades walking through freshly decorated rooms i finished. She already paid a partial deposit, so she clearly accepted the contract. I’ve issued a revised invoice only covering what was actually done — no padding. She’s now threatening to report me to Trading Standards for “fraud,” despite all comms being in writing. Looking for advice from anyone who’s dealt with timewasters like this: Would a surveyor’s report be worth the cost now? Do I just proceed straight to Small Claims and let the judge read the chat logs? Any tips on how to deal with manipulative types like this, who abuse the system and lean on forums for free advice while dodging payment? Fed up with these “expert clients” who exploit grey areas and sympathy to avoid paying what they owe. Cheers.