Are receipts required to be given to customer?

[sussexwoman]

I'm very inexperienced in employing builders.

I've just had a job done (installation of new wetroom) and the builder quoted me £1,500* for materials, which on request I paid him a week after he started work. He later asked for another £100 saying prices had recently risen and he'd not asked for enough.

He has never offered me any receipts to show how the £1,600 was spent. I did not ask because it sounded like a reasonable sum and he seemed very trustworthy and honest.

The job was finished 8 days ago and, arising from a dispute about the cosmetic finish, I invited another builder in to give a quote for re-decorating. After inspection he suspects that the first builder has cut corners by purchasing cheaper, incorrect materials for the project, in order to pocket the difference in price. For example the thinnest grey plasterboard instead of water resistant, regular grout instead of waterproof, and thinner timbers for the studwork.

Obviously, I now want to check that he has used the correct materials as they cannot now be seen.

My questions are:

1. Should they have provided receipts?

2. Do I have the right to demand to see the receipts now?

3. Is it illegal for them to buy incorrect materials because they are cheaper, and pocket the cash saved?

4. Do I have the right to ask them to return to me the money they saved by using incorrect and inferior materials?

It's a one man firm and did not charge me VAT so I guess he is not registered for VAT and so would not need to retain the receipts for tax reasons.

Many thanks to whoever takes the trouble to advise me.


NB * It's not relevant to my question but before anyone derails this thread by expressing shock that everything could be bought for just £1,600 I should point out that this sum was for building materials only. I purchased the WC, cistern, basin, tap, shower, floor and wall tiles, paint, windows, and lighting myself.

 

[Mottie]

You are entitled to ask for a receipt for the money you have paid them. I would imagine you have a right to request return of part or all of the money you paid for the shoddy work. Don’t be surprised if you never hear from them again though as they sound like a couple of cowboys.

 

[sussexwoman]

You are entitled to ask for a receipt for the money you have paid them. I would imagine you have a right to request return of part or all of the money you paid for the shoddy work. Don’t be surprised if you never hear from them again though as they sound like a couple of cowboys.

I have receipts for the money I gave them for materials but they have not shown me or given me the shop receipts, which would show and prove what type of materials they have used, for example was it waterproof plasterboard or the cheapest stuff? It's all covered now by tiles etc but I need to know.

 

[just pumps]

Thinking that perhaps it is a lesson learnt here and perhaps you need to add it to your T & C`s under a clause of "incase of a dispute araising".

 

[Mottie]

I have receipts for the money I gave them for materials but they have not shown me or given me the shop receipts, which would show and prove what type of materials they have used, for example was it waterproof plasterboard or the cheapest stuff? It's all covered now by tiles etc but I need to know.

Ah, well, I’d give a receipt for parts and labour for a job that I have done but the customer wouldn’t get the receipts that I paid for the materials. One, because it would be a trade price and they will be paying retail and two, because I need those receipts for my records. If you wanted to go down that route perhaps you should have got a list of parts needed from them and supplied everything yourself and paid them on a labour only basis.

 

[sussexwoman]

Ah, well, I’d give a receipt for parts and labour for a job that I have done but the customer wouldn’t get the receipts that I paid for the materials. One, because it would be a trade price and they will be paying retail and two, because I need those receipts for my records. If you wanted to go down that route perhaps you should have got a list of parts needed from them and supplied everything yourself and paid them on a labour only basis.

I want to see them to establish that they have used the correct materials.

Your suggestion would not work because I am not a builder and did not know until someone told me yesterday that there are special materials that need to be used in a wetroom. I want to view the receipts to make sure they have used the right ones, not just to see how much they have overcharged me.

 

[Stivino]

I don't think you'll ever see the reciepts from the shops that supplied the stuff. The only way you're going to find out if the proper materials have been used is to have it inspected by an accredited person. That might mean partial stripping in a couple of places.
That's where I think you are now.

 

[sussexwoman]

I don't think you'll ever see the reciepts from the shops that supplied the stuff. The only way you're going to find out if the proper materials have been used is to have it inspected by an accredited person. That might mean partial stripping in a couple of places.
That's where I think you are now.

Probably, certainly with the wetroom floor. Mind you the shallowness of the stud walls shows that they did not use the usual sized timber, and they were careless enough to have left some offcuts of plasterboard behind and it's thin, cheap and grey.