Roofer’s trail of unhappy customers
A Christchurch roofing contractor has left a trail of unhappy customers, including a 77-year-old woman who paid thousands of dollars for work yet to be started.
Essential Roofing Limited, run by Christchurch man Macaulay Marchant, was incorporated in August 4, 2017. The company claims on its website to be ‘‘Canterbury’s #1 roofing option’’.
Marchant told The Press he had taken on too much work and was now ‘‘snowed under’’ and ‘‘understaffed’’, but for Mary Jamieson, her dealings with the roofer have left her unable to sleep and destroyed her confidence.
Jamieson contacted Marchant in January to fix a leak in the roof of her laundry. Marchant visited her Lyttelton home the following day to look at the roof and suggested installing a dehumidifier to remove the dampness from the ceiling.
‘‘He came across as being very professional, knew exactly what the roof needed and what was causing the leak etc, and promised this, that and the next thing.
‘‘When he left I thought he’s nice, I’m going to get it done soon.’’
Shortly after the visit Marchant sent Jamieson a text saying he needed a deposit of $1610, including GST, for scaffolding.
The following day Marchant asked for a deposit of $4600, including GST, for the rest of the work.
Jamieson, who at the time, was going back and forward-looking after her grandson who had broken his leg after falling off a Lime scooter, while also dealing with health problems of her own, said she wasn’t ‘‘clear-headed’’.
‘‘I should’ve just said to him, ‘give me a quote, I’m going to get somebody else in as well’, it’s what I should have said, it’s what I always do. But, for some reason he was just so good, he was lovely.’’
Jamieson deposited the money into his account. Marchant said he would visit her the next day. Jamieson never saw him again.
What followed over the coming weeks was a number of excuses as to why no work had been done. Originally Marchant said he was waiting to hear from a supplier to find out when the iron was ready, then he said the iron was 60mm too short so had to order some. A day later he was in bed sick.
Jamieson told him she had recently suffered a heart attack and was not supposed to be getting stressed. Marchant continued to ensure her the work would be done.
‘‘He had a list of excuses and it just went on and on.’’
Eventually Jamieson told her daughter about her dealings with Marchant and expressed her concerns.
Her daughter called Marchant, who initially eased her concerns.
‘‘She spoke to him and she said he’s OK, it’s fine, he’s coming around, he’s busy, it’s only been a couple of weeks.’’
Now, about a month after her first contact with Marchant, Jamieson says she’s been battling sleepless nights while also blaming herself.
‘‘I’m very annoyed about the money, but I’m more annoyed about the fact he’s destroyed my confidence in myself. I’ve always been very confident and now I just feel like I’m a silly old person,’’ she said.
‘‘I hope he’s proud of himself . . . I just think he’s been horrible.’’
Marchant told The Press yesterday he had taken on too much work and had a hard time telling customers the company was behind.
‘‘Unfortunately with roofing it happens, we have had bad winds and extreme heat.’’
He hoped to have everything sorted within a month and hoped to compensate homeowners. The company was also in discussion with licensed contractors to complete the work in a ‘‘timely manner’’.
‘‘I am readily in contact with everyone and we hope to tidy it all up as soon as possible.’’
Another man, who declined to be named, told The Press he paid Marchant late last year over $15,000 to paint his roof. Like Jamieson, Marchant has sent him several excuses since, while he continues to wait for the work to be done.
‘‘He seemed very slick, he comes across well, he looked at various aspects of the roof, he obviously knows his stuff.
‘‘He’s friendly, he comes across as capable, but the more you deal with him the more he’s just a bulls… artist.’’
Detective Sergeant Don Fisher confirmed the Christchurch police fraud squad was investigating several complaints in relation to a local roofing contractor.
He warned people who were looking to employ contractors to ensure they obtained at least three quotes from reputable contractors and to not pay money up front for jobs and goods. He suggested customers check out the companies online for reviews as well.
Fisher said anyone who believed they had been the victim of such offending should call Christchurch police on 03 363 7400.