Big trouble surfaces on driveway
DRIVEWAY’S new resin surface was not all it was cracked up to be – and neither was the guarantee designed to cover any problems or repairs, a couple found.
Homeowners Philip and Diane Entwistle paid installer Resindrives. co. uk of Bradford £ 2,850 in 2011 for a new granular bonded surface in a swish pomegranate red shade, which came with insurance for five years.
“It looked fantastic but it was really the guarantee that sealed the deal for us – but that has turned out to be not worth the paper it is written on,” they told Crusader.
“Barely two years after the work, cracks appeared and then we discovered a hole in the coating on the main front step.
“After much chasing, Resindrives did the repairs but they did not last and more have sprung up.
“Last year they promised to come and do the remedial work but since then all our emails and phone calls have been ignored.
“Now to add insult to injury, the company is advertising its service again in our area.”
Philip believes the cracks are due to a bungled installation of the underlay. “Because these are basic faults, I just see the problem getting worse until the whole drive breaks up and we are left with a patch of weeds,” he says.
Crusader’s recorded- delivery letters, emails and call to Resindrives fell on the same stony ground. We did manage to establish that its director, listed at Companies House as Jason Wainwright, left months ago and we were told to send our inquiry to a Carwyn Richards. But he chose to keep schtum.
Another Resindrives customer has described an experience identical to that of the Entwistles on an internet review site, and reported that they have complained to West Yorkshire Trading Standards.
The company’s own website features a logo which at first glance adds to the impression of authority and reliability but on further inspection there is no mention of their being a member of any reputable trade body ( such as TrustMark, see box, right) with high standards and help for customers if a dispute arises.
After banging their heads against a brick wall for more than a year, the only option open to the Entwistles, from Blackburn, is to take their case to the small claims court.
Solicitor Joanne Lezemore, founder of advice site Consumer Genie, explains: “If you have a guarantee, the company has to honour it. How they do so depends on the guarantee but if they fail a customer has a claim for breach of contract.”
Even if no guarantee is in place, consumers are protected by supply of goods and services rules, says Lezemore. These oblige a company to provide materials of satisfactory quality and carry out work properly and within a reasonable time.
“Therefore Philip can bring a claim for breach of the Act and for
trust us to help
DON’T let a guarantee be the only deciding factor as to where you place your custom. More complaints have come Crusader’s way recently from consumers falsely reassured by the cover they have.
When problems crop up afterwards the response from the company is often prompt at first but then either the remedial work does not last or other faults emerge which are never dealt with.
Technical competence, customer satisfaction and the chance for a proper inquiry if problems do occur are some of the many protections available to consumers if they choose traders who are part of the Government- backed TrustMark scheme.
trustmark. org. uk damages,” she recommends. “The amount of those would be the potential cost of having a third party putting right or re- doing the work. This is straightforward.
“Philip must first write a formal letter to the company, setting out his claim, stating if payment is not made within 14 days he will issue proceedings. He should check with whom his contract is. If it is a franchise, proceedings need to be against that.”
consumer- genie. co. uk