21/07/2026
⚠️A Warning to Fellow Tradespeople ⚠️
John S
Running a small business comes with some amazing customers, but unfortunately not every experience is positive.
I recently completed a tiling job where the customer initially supplied only the tiles, with all other materials purchased as required. I completed the bath panel over several visits due to drying times, along with travel to and from the property.
Once the original quoted work was underway, the customer changed the scope and asked me to complete additional work that had previously been removed from the quotation because he had said he would do it himself. He later expected this work to be included at no extra cost.
During the job I accidentally purchased the wrong tiles for one section. I accepted this mistake immediately and offered to rectify it completely free of charge.
Before I had the opportunity to return and put it right, the customer terminated the job and has since refused to pay for eight hours of labour, my travel expenses and time, or the materials I supplied.
As a new business owner, this has been incredibly disheartening. Fred's Finishing Touches was created in memory of my late dad, who was a handyman before losing his battle with pancreatic cancer. I started this business to continue his legacy, and I pride myself on being honest and always putting things right if a mistake happens.
This experience has taught me some valuable lessons about protecting my business with clearer terms, deposits and written variation agreements whenever a customer changes the scope of work.
To other self-employed tradespeople: always get every change confirmed in writing and don't be afraid to stand your ground on additional work.
Your time, skills and labour deserve to be respected.
If this could be shared far and wide as it's extremely disheartening with it being the start of my small business and I feel like I have been taken advantage of.
Property was based in Carlton so if you have a customer come to you from around that area be very wary.
Please see the below screenshots of him messing me about then accusing me of wasting time looking for tools when he never told me which tools he had and which he didn’t, he set me up to fail so he wouldn’t have to pay.
I just hope this helps out any other self employed person just starting out to make sure that you don't allow people to take advantage just because you are just starting out, know that your time and the work you do is precious.
In total he has paid me £140 for over 6 days of labour at a range of 4-8 hours each + travel expenses + curing times and I had to pay £100 out of my own pocket for materials which he has kept.
Gives a sob story about being used by a cowboy company but then treats an independent business like this, absolutely disgusting and he should be ashamed of himself.
⚠️⚠️⚠️⚠️⚠️AVOID AVOID AVOID⚠️⚠️⚠️⚠️⚠️⚠️
