Concept Solutions – A company and tradesmen you should AVOID!

 Well we abstained from blogging about this for nearly two years now and we’re not getting any further with the company so here it is.

In January of 2007 we contact Concept Solutions to repair a simple garage roof, it seems that their keen eye for odd job men who don’t seem to have any high level of skill is key in their day to day running of the company.

Up until 2008 we tried dealing with them on the phone but it was rather apparent we were getting nowhere so we moved onto letter as this was a more credible source of proof we had been patient and willing to let them correct the issues at hand, the last letter was recorded delivery, anyway here are the letters we sent them:

Note: Although my letters may seem a little harsh at first, this was due to the issue already taking over a year to resolve and still this company were incompetent and dragging their feet.

Timothy Bowers

xx xxxx xxxxx

xxxxx,

xxxx,

xxxx xxx

 

23^rd July 2008

 

RE: Work conducted at xx Windmill Ave.

 

Dear Mr Mason & Concept Solutions.

 

It has become rather apparent that you are incompetent and unable complete a simple job. If I don’t receive a satisfactory reply and proof that you have at least started making provisions to correct your mistake within 14 days, I will start to make this issue public knowledge, accompanied by images of your job as proof. I presume you are also aware of my ties to highly searched and indexed websites. In addition we will also seek legal representation.

 

I am informed by a representative of Concept Solutions that I should write this letter to you and also send a copy to them for records during an internal investigation into your poor conduct. As a franchisee you work for and represent the interests of Concept Solutions.

 

When we hired your firm to for the original job on our garage roof, we didn’t hire a sub-contractor, we hired Concept Solutions, we hired and dealt with you ‘Richard Mason’. You in turn hired a sub-contractor to represent your interests.

 

I will now detail the issues. At the beginning of 2007 Concept Solutions was contacted for a quotation relating to a damaged roof. Your quotation was acceptable to our insurance company and you where charged with the job at hand. You arranged dates, I believe about 3 in total and all of them missed although on two occasions, two different sets of builders came to reassess the job. Finally the job began with some flimsy materials, your workforce secured it with one (1) wooded beam. I questioned if this rubber based material would be suitable for a flat roof, and if it had sufficient support. I was given your companies assurances that this was made to last and that I shouldn’t have issues.

 

Water then started to accumulate on the roof during rainy weather. Funny enough in the parts of the roof with no support and because the roof material was rubber based it started to flex a little where the water had accumulated slowly placing more and more strain on the roof.

 

I then informed you ‘Concept Solutions’ of this issue. You sent out the original builder back out again and he placed in more support towards the back of the garage. But the material was already out of shape and still lacked further support to the front of the garage. And guess what, yes this is a rhetorical question and yes water did accumulate again.

 

We went on vacation over Christmas and on returning the roof had given way in the area’s with no support and the area’s that had already been misshaped by rain. The water accumulation caused by your work was just too much for your shabby job.

 

I don’t have exact dates to hand but it wasn’t until February maybe even late March that the roof was replaced with a concrete solution, you may also note that the first appointment was missed. We couldn’t access the garage because of where the roof had caved in from lack of support it had blocked the garage door from the inside.

 

In your words “I have to admit this certainly isn’t one of the better jobs we’ve done”, was this an understatement or was it in fact up to your usual standards, missed appointments, incorrect materials, lack of structural support.

 

Once access had been gained, we realised all the personal belongings stored in the garage were ruined, this included items we had stored for friends. It was requested that you provide at least two (2) skips, a cleaning service and compensation to which you agreed after confirming yourself that the job was done incompetently.

 

If you had acted promptly, we may have been possible to salvage and save a lot of the things in the garage, however true to your ever evolving colours, you acted slowly and incompetently.

 

You ‘Richard Mason’ arranged a date to come and clean the mess, one which you cancelled and arranged a week later. At least this time you informed me of the cancellation unlike all previous failed appointments with Concept Solutions.

 

A skip turned up (1 Skip), you personally turned up with one other member of staff but not as Concept Solutions, this time masquerading as a cleaning company which I believe was ‘ServiceMaster’ I have a business card somewhere and can confirm if needed.

 

You then went through the garage clearing away the still water which was brown and murky with a stench worse than any I had smelled before, covering personal belongings and the live vermin which ran around in there. You threw away some personal items we could never get back again and items our friends and other family members could never ever see again.

 

Amongst those were photo’s of our friends baby, their belongings were stored whilst they moved house. Now they have no photo’s of their child as a baby at all. Photo’s of my brothers child, these were not replaceable and now our family only have one or two photo’s. Our memories in pictures have gone for ever. Baby cloths, and toys too. The more physical stuff, cloths, sofa’s, TV’s, PC’s, washing machines and much more.

 

There was a full garage of stuff from front to back and floor up, all ruined because you and your company ‘Concept Solutions’ where incompetent at your job and you admitted this on numerous occasions.

 

That day you filled the skip and still half the garage remained but you informed me you had to leave by two so would return the following week to complete the job but you didn’t. Your now claiming your insurance company believe your employee should pay. But remember, we employed you ‘Concept Solutions’ not anyone else, we agreed to you completing the job.

 

I couldn’t give a damn who pays for this mess, but one of you will. I have photo’s of every stage of your job and I will make them public, I will also seek legal action.

 

Here is what we now expect:

 

Compensation: £15,000

Return Fee Of Job: Some £900

Storage Fees: £27.50 per week x 24 weeks = £660 – Approx

 

The storage fees are based on the prices listed at http://www.admiralstorage.co.uk/ they compare space to the size of a vehicle, I believe I’ve under estimated the actual cost here.

 

The storage fees are based on there being 4 weeks in every month which is not quite accurate. They are taken from the beginning of January when your unsupported roof finally gave way, thus making the valuable content in side nothing more than lost memories and personal belongings. At this point because you delayed acting, I believe the the damaged and irreplaceable content became yours and it is for this reason I’m charging you a storage fee.

 

The compensation will will be used to purchase items which are replaceable, cover the cost of a real cleaning company, skip hire, replacement of the flooring used within the garage which is now of no use.

 

Be assured that should I be forced to take legal action I will be asking for double this amount for damages, emotional stress, storage, loss of earnings, risk of being affected and infected by bio-hazardous material and vermin, plus legal expenses.

 

I have images of the job which also show your incompetence.

 

As mentioned previously I expect a satisfactory reply within 14 days, I also expect proof that you are taking every action to reimburse us for our loss, inconvenience, chance of contracting disease through water which had been stood for months on end, live vermin. Our pets that live here and children that visit could have also been infected from this live vermin and/or stood water.

 

If you act promptly and reimburse us for our loss with suitable compensation, I will refrain from taking legal action and making this public, my patience has been strong so far, but I warn you that after a year and half it is running very thin.

 

Kind Regards

Timothy Bowers

Timothy Bowers

xx xxxx xxxxx

xxxxx,

xxxx,

xxxx xxx

 

9^th August 2008

 

RE: Work conducted at xx Windmill Ave -Garage Contents

 

Dear Mr Mason & Concept Solutions.

 

Thank you kindly for your letter dated 8^th August 2008. I note that yet again you leave things until the last possible minute in an unacceptable and unprofessional manner. It was two weeks since my first letter!

 

In your letter you cast blame to your sub-contractor, however may I remind you sir that did not hire your sub-contract. We hired Concept Solutions, you where the one who assessed the original work and you where the one who failed to meet appointments, you are also the one whom took our money.

 

I’m sick and tired of hearing your apologies they make me feel sick to the bone. You had already accepted blame on numerous occasions but yet again your trying to find more ways to worm out of this complete mess your company has made.

 

We employed your company as we believed you where capable of simple tasks, however it seems lack of basic structural support lead to this. When I last spoke with your contractor he informed me you provisioned the materials and to him he may only use the cheap rubber like material which was no good for a flat roof. Despite my questioning this at the time, you instructed him he must use the materials and there were no other options. So regardless of how you look at this the fault and blame is still with you, the company we paid to fulfil the work.

 

For your personal reference, I will also include a copy of the letter I have drafted for Mr Gilvier.

 

Kind Regards

Timothy Bowers

Timothy Bowers

xx xxxx xxxxx

xxxxx,

xxxx,

xxxx xxx

 

9^th August 2008

 

RE: Work conducted at xx Windmill Ave -Garage Contents

 

Dear Barry Gilvier.

 

As you are aware Concept Solutions employed you to complete the work quoted for our garage roof. Which turned out to be a poor job leading to the ruin and loss of thousands of pounds of personal belongings and irreplaceable items.

 

Mr Mason informs me that the responsibility is with yourself despite it being him who instructed you what materials to use and despite my reservations at the time that expressed. Last time when we spoke you said the fault was his for forcing the use of inappropriate materials and not providing funding for the structural support it would need. He proclaims it is in fact your fault, your negligence and incompetence this issue has arisen.

 

I really couldn’t careless who you both want to blame, I just want this fixing and suitable compensation. I believe Mr Mason has already apprised you of the situation and therefore I will not waste more of my time detailing the issue at hand. Should you require a copy of my original letter to Mr Mason dated 23^rd July 2008 then please let me know so that I can forward a copy, however if Mr Mason was at all competent he would of done so already.

 

Please note my time has been wasted enough on this matter, and as such is now billable.

 

I look forward to your reply.

 

Kind Regards

Timothy Bowers

Timothy Bowers

xx xxxx xxxxx

xxxxx,

xxxx,

xxxx xxx

 

15^th October 2008

 

RE: Work conducted at xx Windmill Ave – Garage Contents

 

Dear Mr Mason & Concept Solutions.

 

I have now sought legal advice, I’ve presented the photographic evidence and proof of my correspondence via both E-mail and Letter, I can also provide proof of telephone calls via a phone bill. Based on this we’ve been advised that we have strong case against Concept Solutions.

 

Further more they inform me it is in fact Concept Solutions whom are liable as it you the company we paid for services and not your sub contractor as you and your staff keep advising.

 

I no longer have patience for your games, my last letter was ignored and also my E-mails. Please be aware that electronic communication can be tracked it either reaches your inbox or it bounces and so far I have no returned mail. For those reasons I’ve chosen to register this mail as proof of your receipt.

 

I’m also informed that legally I can bill you for clean up and storage because you’ve so far failed to remove the waste you’ve created.

 

Based on the confirmation and advice we’ve received about having a strong case against Concept Solutions and Richard Mason we will take further action.

 

To prevent this action and information being made public I’m advising you that you have 14 days from receipt of this letter to fix the roof that is still leaking due to poor workmanship, propose suitable compensation which would include further charges since my previous letters, remove the waste, clean the garage appropriately and replace the inside flooring.

 

If you fail to respond on this occasion or you do not give a satisfactory reply then I will file legal action against both Concept Solutions and Richard Mason acting as Concept Solutions at a non negotiable figure.

 

I look forward to a prompt and satisfactory reply this time.

 

Kind Regards

Timothy Bowers

And now we’re about to start legal proceedings, we’ve given them much longer than the 14 days specified and they’ve chosen to ignore our communication.

Here’s is an image of the flexible material they first used which also shows where water accumulated and started to seep through due to lack of support:

The roof got a lot worse and was eventually replaced by them using a concrete corrugate instead.

If you need to take legal action against Concept Solutions or  another company then you can do it at a reasonable cost, for more information please see the following link for a government website:

http://www.moneyclaim.gov.uk

http://www.hmcourts-service.gov.uk/infoabout/claims/index.htm