What would you do? (Trust dilemma)

I’d be more concerned that he’d do a good job - no point in making a mess of it just so he can say he’s got it done by the 31st. Much better to get a quality job that takes a bit longer than a botched, rushed one that means the boiler isn’t fit for purpose

Grapefruitpip, you have made me feel quite queasy!

I would probably pay him not to show me his tools.

You’d be a mug then. Better to wait a bit longer and check his credentials.

No, please get another estimate. You won't be sorry!!!

Doodledog

Didn’t spot the News and Politics heading or even pay attention to the date, must pay more attention.

We’ll all I can say is that you all need to get out a bit more and that If I were that man I might very well prefer to die in a ditch before I would want to spend any time with you Amagran and just hope (sincerely) that your boiler doesn’t break down before it gets to -. ????⛄️?

I too thought your OP was very clever, Amagran.
I have to admit to having been taken in at first!!

I wouldn’t trust him in my house.
I heard his brother has walked out of the business.
And I think his father is ‘on the run’.
They seem like a strange family ...

Very clever post Amagram and it’s such a good thread, love the replies ... I had to read several posts before ‘the penny dropped’.

Hummmm I’m not sure about his brother tbh. I think at the moment he’s having a period of rest from the family business but has a retainer of about £70k whilst he decides what to do next. It might be wisest really to keep away from any subsequent business either of them are involved with.

He sounds untrustworthy - go by your instincts - try the Age Concern website and also ask around to get someone better. Word of mouth should get you a better recommendation.

Show him the door! And please don't feel bad or embarrassed about it.
If you don't have any recommendation from someone you trust, please have a look at Which Trusted Traders - dh and I use that site for finding reliable people - has worked well so far.

Some friends were in a similar position but fortunately listened to those of us who knew about the lack of integrity of the firm. They used inexperienced workers who did a shoddy job, providing very inaccurate estimates. Further investigation showed that in fact their bills would soar despite the promises of significant savings.
They saw the light, used a firm which checked and overhauled their system and are hugely relieved that they asked around before committing themselves to a very dubious bunch of chancers!

The trouble is, the family is completely split - half say they have seen right through this guy and won't have him in the house. The other half say we should go along with what he says and just get this thing done by Halloween, but they don't seem to be able to give me any reasons why.

I think everyone is fed up with talking about central heating, but personally I don't think that that is a reason for virtually bankrupting ourselves by opting for something we probably don't really need.

To be honest, my own inclination is to go back to the fitters of the original system and ask them if they can tweak it a bit.

What do you all think?

I agree. When it’s something as major as this with so many different options and outcomes it’s vital that you’re clear about what you’re getting for your money.

Tell him to come up with specifications, costs, length of time the boiler will last etc etc and then give you the option of choosing whether to go ahead.

Oh and on a completely different subject, my DH has just come in from the garden - he said that amongst the other bird calls, he heard the characteristic and distinctive call of a Yellowhammer: "a little bit of bread and no....cheeeeese".

Could well be our staple diet in the years to come!

I wish you could post a picture of him. He must be absolutely drop dead gorgeous judging by how you've described him. Better someone like that working on your house for a while than some ugly fat so and so that would probably do the job more efficiently. Go for it. What have you got to lose....[lucky you...]

Drop dead gorgeous?! I bet he looks like the back end of a big red bus!

Your heating system must be in an incredibly bad way for you to have to consider using this man to change it? What is the problem with your current system? Or did you just fancy a bit of a change??

I suspect it’s more a case of the posho tradesman benefitting very nicely from the new boiler deal - the customer certainly won’t be seeing any real benefit from his shoddy workmanship.

Oh he is drop dead gorgeous, Labaik, - you know, in that just-climbed-out-of-a-ditch sort of way: unkempt tousled blonde hair, shirt half hanging out of his trousers, one hand punching the air, the other on his flies, his leg wrapped round the pole at the back of a red bus just like a proper pole dancer!

No wonder the women fall for him. I bet he's a bit like that Trump guy. Now there's a real man!

No Labaik, this man told me my heating system was fine to begin with then he changed his mind and said we should part company with it. He has never told me what the actual benefits of a new system would be. But having decided on a new system, I am determined to have a new one, even if it bankrupts me.

So you mean you don’t actually know what type of boiler you’re getting, or how much it’s going to cost you to run? No offence, but that sounds a bit foolish. Are you usually this easily taken in by men with posh accents?